z ⋆˙⟡�'s bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 05 Apr 2025 19:53:42 -0700 60 z ⋆˙⟡�'s bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)]]> 216409411
A hopeless romantic meets a demoralized radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

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

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

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 12 B.K. Borison z ⋆˙⟡� 0 currently-reading 4.08 2025 First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)
author: B.K. Borison
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Great Big Beautiful Life 218689177
Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

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

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

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

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

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

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

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> Emily Henry z ⋆˙⟡� 3 arcs, 2025-reads
if taylor swift's the last great american dynasty and mad woman were turned into a book, it would be this. a combination of taylor swift, hints of mystery, romance, and emily henry sounds like something i would love, but unfortunately, great big beautiful life was a great big disappointment to me.

as i've mentioned time and time again, one of my favorite things about emhen books is how it's not just purely romance, but touches on life struggles in a way that is so relatable. i didn't feel that way while listening to this book on audio. i was underwhelmed and the magic i usually feel when reading her books wasn't there. honestly, i felt like dnfing at some point, but stayed for margaret's story, which the mcs are "competing" to write about. this had a potential to be my new favorite book with it being marketed as a rivals-to-lovers romance, but i wasn't completely sold on the romance and i didn't particularly connect with the mcs either in the same way i did with henry's previous mcs.

it wasn't that bad, i just had a whole lot of expectations, which i guess is my fault. i saw many similar reviews a while ago, but i said, "hey, my favorite emily henry book is happy place and many disliked that, so i might have a different opinion." well, i guess i've found my least favorite emhen. i think i may have liked this better if i hadn't read evelyn hugo as a teenager. still, i have to say, i can see people enjoying this. it's just not for me.

thank you, librofm for the alc! ]]> 4.08 2025 Great Big Beautiful Life
author: Emily Henry
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: arcs, 2025-reads
review:
2.5

if taylor swift's the last great american dynasty and mad woman were turned into a book, it would be this. a combination of taylor swift, hints of mystery, romance, and emily henry sounds like something i would love, but unfortunately, great big beautiful life was a great big disappointment to me.

as i've mentioned time and time again, one of my favorite things about emhen books is how it's not just purely romance, but touches on life struggles in a way that is so relatable. i didn't feel that way while listening to this book on audio. i was underwhelmed and the magic i usually feel when reading her books wasn't there. honestly, i felt like dnfing at some point, but stayed for margaret's story, which the mcs are "competing" to write about. this had a potential to be my new favorite book with it being marketed as a rivals-to-lovers romance, but i wasn't completely sold on the romance and i didn't particularly connect with the mcs either in the same way i did with henry's previous mcs.

it wasn't that bad, i just had a whole lot of expectations, which i guess is my fault. i saw many similar reviews a while ago, but i said, "hey, my favorite emily henry book is happy place and many disliked that, so i might have a different opinion." well, i guess i've found my least favorite emhen. i think i may have liked this better if i hadn't read evelyn hugo as a teenager. still, i have to say, i can see people enjoying this. it's just not for me.

thank you, librofm for the alc!
]]> <![CDATA[The Raven Scholar (The Eternal Path, #1)]]> 212174157 From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.]]> 704 Antonia Hodgson 152933988X z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.49 2025 The Raven Scholar (The Eternal Path, #1)
author: Antonia Hodgson
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)]]> 37433980 Length: 3 hrs and 17 min

A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that blends HBO's Westworld with Iain M. Banks' Culture books.

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid � a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.� Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.]]> 4 Martha Wells z ⋆˙⟡� 4
socially awkward robot� i felt that]]> 4.00 2017 All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)
author: Martha Wells
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves:
review:
3.5

socially awkward robot� i felt that
]]> The River Has Roots 228393112 Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.

“Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.�

In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.

There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.

But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters� bond but also their lives will be at risk…]]> Amal El-Mohtar 1250353351 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 4.24 2025 The River Has Roots
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves:
review:

]]> Water Moon 212476837 A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.

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

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

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

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.]]> 15 Samantha Sotto Yambao z ⋆˙⟡� 0 dnf 3.73 2025 Water Moon
author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: dnf
review:
dnfing. unfortunately, not for me. i’m really not a fan of insta love.
]]> <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214331246 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

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

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

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 382 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 z ⋆˙⟡� 5 ]]> 4.67 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:
forgot to update this� still bawling

]]> <![CDATA[Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution]]> 134239327 A novel that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide�

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?]]> 545 R.F. Kuang 0063021439 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 4.23 2022 Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
author: R.F. Kuang
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: owned, physical-tbr, 2024-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)]]> 12390063
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.]]> 390 Suzanne Collins 0439023548 z ⋆˙⟡� 5 march 2025: 4.5 4.08 2010 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2020/08/10
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: owned, 2020-reads, rereads, 2025-reads
review:
march 2025: 4.5
]]> The Buffalo Hunter Hunter 214565614 A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.]]> 448 Stephen Graham Jones 1668075083 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.30 2025 The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
author: Stephen Graham Jones
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)]]> 24885537
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...]]> 486 Cassandra Clare 1481455923 z ⋆˙⟡� 4
3.5]]> 3.85 2007 City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/31
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: owned, 2019-reads, rereads, 2017-reads, 2025-reads
review:
Reread March 16, 2025

3.5
]]> <![CDATA[What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier, #1)]]> 58724626 From the award-winning author of The Twisted Ones comes a gripping and atmospheric retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's classic "The Fall of the House of Usher."

When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruravia.

What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.

Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.]]> 165 T. Kingfisher 1250830753 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.86 2022 What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier, #1)
author: T. Kingfisher
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[In the Shadow of the Fall (Guardians of the Gods, #1)]]> 195790546
" The novella of the year has arrived!" ―Mark Oshiro, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Ashâke is an acolyte in the temple of Ifa, yearning for the day she is made a priest and sent out into the world to serve the orisha. But of all the acolytes, she is the only one the orisha refuse to speak to. For years she has watched from the sidelines as peer after peer passes her by and ascends to full priesthood.

Desperate, Ashâke attempts to summon and trap an orisha―any orisha. Instead, she experiences a vision so terrible it draws the attention of a powerful enemy sect and thrusts Ashâke into the center of a centuries-old war that will shatter the very foundations of her world.]]> 149 Tobi Ogundiran 1250907969 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.86 2024 In the Shadow of the Fall (Guardians of the Gods, #1)
author: Tobi Ogundiran
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lies of the Ajungo (Forever Desert, #1)]]> 60784306 Moses Ose Utomi's debut novella, The Lies of the Ajungo, follows one boy’s epic quest to bring water back to his city and save his mother’s life. Prepare to enter the Forever Desert.

A Library Journal Best Book of the Month!

They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies?

In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a deal: she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutu’s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself.

The Lies of the Ajungo opens the curtains on a tremendous world, and begins the epic fable of the Forever Desert. With every word, Moses Ose Utomi weaves magic.]]> 87 Moses Ose Utomi 1250849063 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.20 2023 The Lies of the Ajungo (Forever Desert, #1)
author: Moses Ose Utomi
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Arcana Academy (Arcana Academy, #1)]]> 219551319 A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling romantasy series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy's enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?]]> 576 Elise Kova 0593726340 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.35 2025 Arcana Academy (Arcana Academy, #1)
author: Elise Kova
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)]]> 65211701 Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back.

Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.

But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast.

Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.]]> 245 Martha Wells 1250826977 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.19 2023 System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)
author: Martha Wells
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, #6)]]> 53205854 No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall.

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!]]> 168 Martha Wells 1250765374 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.25 2021 Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, #6)
author: Martha Wells
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)]]> 52381770
It worries about the fragile human crew who've grown to trust it, but only where no one can see.

It tells itself that they're only a professional obligation, but when they're captured and an old friend from the past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

]]> 350 Martha Wells 1250229863 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.44 2020 Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)
author: Martha Wells
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4)]]> 35519109
Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?]]> 163 Martha Wells z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.38 2018 Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4)
author: Martha Wells
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3)]]> 35519101
And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

]]> 158 Martha Wells 1250191785 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.21 2018 Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3)
author: Martha Wells
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2)]]> 36223860 alternate cover for ISBN 9781250186928

It has a dark past � one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot." But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A� stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks.]]> 158 Martha Wells z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.23 2018 Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2)
author: Martha Wells
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The God and the Gumiho (Fate's Thread, #1)]]> 218692174 Sophie Kim z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 3.75 4.11 2024 The God and the Gumiho (Fate's Thread, #1)
author: Sophie Kim
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
3.75
]]> <![CDATA[The Knight and the Butcherbird]]> 224970641
In this gritty, haunting tale about doing whatever it takes for love, a small-town storyteller resolves to keep the local monster—and her own secrets—safe from a legendary knight.

Nestled deep in the steep hills, valleys, and surrounding woodlands lies Iron Hollow, a rural community beset by demons. Such horrors are common in the outlands, where most folks die young, if they don’t turn into monsters first. But what’s causing these transformations?

No one has the answer, not even the town’s oral historian, seventeen-year-old Shrike. And when a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest beast to haunt their woods, Shrike has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes her—that May is still human, somewhere beneath it all—she can’t prove it.

Determined to keep May safe, Shrike stalks the knight and his demon-hunting hawk through the recesses of the forest. But as they creep through toxic creeks and overgrown kudzu, Shrike realizes the knight has a secret of his own. And he’ll do anything to protect it.]]> 36 Alix E. Harrow 1662527233 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 4.07 2025 The Knight and the Butcherbird
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: 2025-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Last Night at the Telegraph Club]]> 35224992 A story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare.

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.� And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?�

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.]]> 409 Malinda Lo 0525555250 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.21 2021 Last Night at the Telegraph Club
author: Malinda Lo
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Silver Elite 217262769 In the first book of a sizzling dystopian romance series, psychic gifts are a death sentence and there are rules to Trust no one. Lie to everyone. And whatever you do, don’t fall for your greatest enemy.

TRUST NO ONE.

Wren Darlington has spent her whole life in hiding, honing her psychic abilities and aiding the rebel Uprising in small ways. On the Continent, being Modified means certain death—and Wren is one of the most powerful Mods in existence. When one careless mistake places her in the hands of the enemy and she’s forced to join their most elite training program, she’s finally handed the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.

LIE TO EVERYONE.

But training for Silver Block can be deadly, especially when you’re harboring dangerous secrets and living in close quarters with everyone who wants you dead.

AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T FALL FOR YOUR GREATEST ENEMY.

As the stakes grow ever higher, Wren must prove herself to Silver Block. But that’s easier said than done when your commanding officer is the ruthless and infuriatingly irresistible Cross Redden, who doesn’t miss anything when it comes to her. And as war rages between Mods like her and those who aim to destroy them, Wren must decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect herself . . . and how much of the Continent is worth saving.]]> Dani Francis 0593875478 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 currently-reading, arcs 4.00 2025 Silver Elite
author: Dani Francis
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: currently-reading, arcs
review:

]]> Tusk Love 219848368 A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars.

As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure.

Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack.

Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down—even if the spark between them sizzles with promise.

Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance.

Written by New York Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon at the behest of Critical Role’s Jester Lavorre, Tusk Love brings the most romantic story on Exandrian bookshelves to life.]]> 288 Thea Guanzon 0593874269 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.51 2025 Tusk Love
author: Thea Guanzon
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters #1)]]> 43118158 Length: 10 hours 17 minutes approx, 24 chapters

Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with six directives to help her “Get a Life�, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamourous family’s mansion. The next items?

Enjoy a drunken night out.
Ride a motorcycle.
Go camping.
Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
And� do something bad.

But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.

Redford ‘Red� Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…]]> 10 Talia Hibbert 0062941240 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads
very fun, will definitely continue. ]]> 3.80 2019 Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters #1)
author: Talia Hibbert
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
3.75

very fun, will definitely continue.
]]> Piranesi 52702097
There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.]]> 246 Susanna Clarke z ⋆˙⟡� 5 2025-reads 4.75 4.25 2020 Piranesi
author: Susanna Clarke
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
4.75
]]> Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 14201
Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange.

Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms that between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.]]> 1006 Susanna Clarke z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.84 2004 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
author: Susanna Clarke
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Blood Over Bright Haven 208455470 The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen.

For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry.

When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome—and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power.

At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first.]]> 422 M.L. Wang 059387336X z ⋆˙⟡� 5 2025-reads 4.5 4.41 2023 Blood Over Bright Haven
author: M.L. Wang
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
4.5
]]> Wild Reverence 222376906
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.]]> 544 Rebecca Ross 1250373352 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.78 2025 Wild Reverence
author: Rebecca Ross
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.78
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Gifted & Talented 211004124 From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes the story of three siblings who, upon the death of their father, are forced to reckon with their long-festering rivalries, dangerous abilities, and the crushing weight of all their unrealized adolescent potential.

Where there’s a will, there’s a war.

Thayer Wren, the brilliant CEO of Wrenfare Magitech and so-called father of modern technology, is dead. Any one of his three telepathically and electrokinetically gifted children would be a plausible inheritor to the Wrenfare throne.

Or at least, so they like to think.

Meredith, textbook accomplished eldest daughter and the head of her own groundbreaking biotech company, has recently cured mental illness. You're welcome! If only her father's fortune wasn't her last hope for keeping her journalist ex-boyfriend from exposing what she really is: a total fraud.

Arthur, second-youngest congressman in history, fights the good fight every day of his life. And yet, his wife might be leaving him, and he's losing his re-election campaign. But his dead father’s approval in the form of a seat on the Wrenfare throne might just turn his sinking ship around.

Eilidh, once the world's most famous ballerina, has spent the last five years as a run-of-the-mill marketing executive at her father’s company after a life-altering injury put an end to her prodigious career. She might be lacking in accolades compared to her siblings, but if her father left her everything, it would finally validate her worth—by confirming she'd been his favorite all along.

On the pipeline of gifted kid to clinically depressed adult, nobody wins—but which Wren will come out on top?]]> 512 Olivie Blake 1250883407 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 currently-reading 3.99 2025 Gifted & Talented
author: Olivie Blake
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Promise Me Sunshine 214282631 Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not

Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with Lou, and the list of things she’s supposed to do to help her live again. The only thing she can do is temporary babysitting gigs, and luckily, she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. It’s not perfect: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of... a huge jerk. But if Lenny acts like she has it all together, maybe no one will notice she’s falling apart.

Miles sees right through her though. Turns out, he knows a lot about grief and, surprisingly, he offers her a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again� list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the Lou has left behind, but she begins to spend more time with Miles, Lenny is surprised to discover that, sometimes, losing everything is only the first step to finding yourself, and love, again.]]> Cara Bastone 0593595742 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 arcs, dnf
i can’t stand the fmc for some reason ]]> 4.35 2025 Promise Me Sunshine
author: Cara Bastone
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: arcs, dnf
review:
dnfed at 20%

i can’t stand the fmc for some reason
]]> <![CDATA[The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)]]> 205335957
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.]]> 400 Rachel Gillig 0356522962 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.62 2025 The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil]]> 214567026 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.]]> 544 Victoria E. Schwab z ⋆˙⟡� 5 2025-reads, arcs
"There are other names for us, of course. Night walker. Blood drinker. Abomination. Vampire. But those are words crafted by mortal tongues. They are imperfect, incomplete. They lack the poetry, the brutality, the grace. No, we are roses."


A striking portrayal of how prey can become predator, and vice versa. This book, at its core, is a love child between Addie LaRue's whimsical, eloquent prose and alternating timelines & Vicious' moral compass, viciousness (HAHA), and violence. Can you imagine the yearning? The melancholy? The angst? Now, throw sapphic vampires into the mix.

Without giving too much away, it’s a beautiful yet raw tale about three women, each yearning—hungry—to be free, seen, and loved. It highlights their journey on coming to terms with their identities and being unapologetic about who they are. Spanning different centuries and cultures, you get to know them and see how their stories weave together.

Ms. Victoria Schwab truly poured her heart and soul into this novel, and it shows. The characters are compelling, and the book touches on themes of sexism, grief, colorism, and mortality, among others. More than just a mere vampire story, it’s a delicate balance between vulnerability and spite, weakness and strength, vengeance and forgiveness.

As well-written as this book is, I couldn’t quite give it a 5-star rating, and I’m still unsure why. I tend to struggle with this when it comes to V.E. Schwab’s books. This one is quite heavy handed on character study, which pushes the plot to the backseat, similar to Addie LaRue. Rather than a fast, propulsive read, we meander through centuries of stories, like a slow trickle of blood. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I found myself ready for things to start wrapping up while still having half of the book left to read.

It is a vampire story, so bloodsucking and carnage are to be expected, but at some point, it became repetitive that it started to lose my attention. However, there is one chapter around the 74% mark that had me wrecked. I didn’t mind the ending, although it was a bit anticlimactic—but again, I wasn’t mad about it. Similar to the vampires themselves, my relationship with this book was rather toxic—shifting from fascinating and consuming one moment, to frustrating and wishing it were over the next. It left me with mixed feelings: emotionally invested yet unfulfilled, as it didn’t fully deliver the emotional payoff I was hoping for and I struggled connecting with the characters.

That said, it was still well worth my time, and I truly believe this book will be someone’s next 5-star read� maybe even an all time favorite. Despite my issues, it is clear that V.E. Schwab’s talent and writing prowess shine through, and I have no doubts that this will deeply resonate with the right readers. I can’t wait to see this book thrive within the book community and watch everyone become as obsessed with it as they have with Schwab’s other works. It may not have been the perfect book for me, but I can still appreciate it for the story it tries to tell. I’m already looking forward to V.E. Schwab’s next book, and this one isn’t even out yet.

TLDR, despite my critiques, I loved it. It was such a delight and an interesting and unique take on vampires. Anyone who loves Vicious and Addie LaRue will surely love this.

Many thanks to Macmillan for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts are mine.]]> 4.48 2025 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: 2025-reads, arcs
review:
4.5

"There are other names for us, of course. Night walker. Blood drinker. Abomination. Vampire. But those are words crafted by mortal tongues. They are imperfect, incomplete. They lack the poetry, the brutality, the grace. No, we are roses."


A striking portrayal of how prey can become predator, and vice versa. This book, at its core, is a love child between Addie LaRue's whimsical, eloquent prose and alternating timelines & Vicious' moral compass, viciousness (HAHA), and violence. Can you imagine the yearning? The melancholy? The angst? Now, throw sapphic vampires into the mix.

Without giving too much away, it’s a beautiful yet raw tale about three women, each yearning—hungry—to be free, seen, and loved. It highlights their journey on coming to terms with their identities and being unapologetic about who they are. Spanning different centuries and cultures, you get to know them and see how their stories weave together.

Ms. Victoria Schwab truly poured her heart and soul into this novel, and it shows. The characters are compelling, and the book touches on themes of sexism, grief, colorism, and mortality, among others. More than just a mere vampire story, it’s a delicate balance between vulnerability and spite, weakness and strength, vengeance and forgiveness.

As well-written as this book is, I couldn’t quite give it a 5-star rating, and I’m still unsure why. I tend to struggle with this when it comes to V.E. Schwab’s books. This one is quite heavy handed on character study, which pushes the plot to the backseat, similar to Addie LaRue. Rather than a fast, propulsive read, we meander through centuries of stories, like a slow trickle of blood. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I found myself ready for things to start wrapping up while still having half of the book left to read.

It is a vampire story, so bloodsucking and carnage are to be expected, but at some point, it became repetitive that it started to lose my attention. However, there is one chapter around the 74% mark that had me wrecked. I didn’t mind the ending, although it was a bit anticlimactic—but again, I wasn’t mad about it. Similar to the vampires themselves, my relationship with this book was rather toxic—shifting from fascinating and consuming one moment, to frustrating and wishing it were over the next. It left me with mixed feelings: emotionally invested yet unfulfilled, as it didn’t fully deliver the emotional payoff I was hoping for and I struggled connecting with the characters.

That said, it was still well worth my time, and I truly believe this book will be someone’s next 5-star read� maybe even an all time favorite. Despite my issues, it is clear that V.E. Schwab’s talent and writing prowess shine through, and I have no doubts that this will deeply resonate with the right readers. I can’t wait to see this book thrive within the book community and watch everyone become as obsessed with it as they have with Schwab’s other works. It may not have been the perfect book for me, but I can still appreciate it for the story it tries to tell. I’m already looking forward to V.E. Schwab’s next book, and this one isn’t even out yet.

TLDR, despite my critiques, I loved it. It was such a delight and an interesting and unique take on vampires. Anyone who loves Vicious and Addie LaRue will surely love this.

Many thanks to Macmillan for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts are mine.
]]> Katabasis 210223811 Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.]]> 400 R.F. Kuang z ⋆˙⟡� 5 arcs, 2025-reads
What does Hell look like? The answer varies on whom you ask. R.F. Kuang brilliantly weaves together different versions of Hell—from various religious & mythological texts and philosophical travelogues across cultures, Eastern and Western, to even students� claims that academia itself is hellish—in a creative and fascinating way that scratched a part of my brain.

WRITING
I was surprised that the story immediately plunges us into action, unfolding in a nonlinear narrative, shifting between past and present timelines, making for an engaging read. Considering how dense this book is, it surprised me that I didn’t really mind the pacing. I’m not the biggest fan of alternating timelines, but I didn’t have a problem with it in Katabasis for some reason.

While this book required a significant amount of brainpower to get through—given that its subject matter is vastly different from my academic background—I found it considerably more accessible than my experience with Babel. That said, my brain still needed a break after finishing it. However, recognizing some of the philosophers and notable figures Kuang name-dropped from my high school days was definitely a big help. It was the math and logic puzzles that almost had my brain disintegrating. Please don’t ask me anything about it because I have no idea what I read. If you’re just like me, don’t worry too much because I didn’t really feel like I was missing anything by not knowing nor understanding what the characters were talking about academic-wise.

Kuang employs didactic exposition through the characters� monologues and dialogues, which I appreciated. However, I can see why some readers might not, as similar critiques were made about Babel for doing the same, though through footnotes.

READING PREP
In terms of preparation, Dante’s Inferno was referenced the most, so I’m glad I read it prior to Katabasis. That being said, you don’t need to read any of the suggested books to supplement your reading, but it certainly enhances the experience. I didn’t have time to explore other works such as The Aeneid, The Iliad, and The Odyssey, but I watched videos of summaries and analyses on YouTube. I will consider getting to them before the release date, though, in preparation for a reread.

PLOT & WORLD-BUILDING
Again, I was surprised that the story doesn’t waste any time getting into the plot. But I think it helped because although the first couple of chapters were pretty dense (I think she named five philosophers in one sentence in the first chapter), I didn’t have a hard time getting into the book.

One thing that I truly loved about this underworld Kuang created was the fact that she combined different versions of hell into the Circles of Hell in Katabasis. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this so I respect the creativity and the research that must’ve went into it. I think it wove together seamlessly.

R.F. Kuang also recommended Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in an interview citing books to read before Katabasis and I can see why. This book was quite literally Alice but in the courts of Hell. I can’t describe it but the way Kuang reimagined Hell reminded me so much of Alice in Wonderland.

To me, the magic system is pretty straightforward. Granted, I don’t understand all of it, but I know enough. A lot of it was based on logic and theoretical mathematics, both of which were never my strongest. But again, not knowing doesn’t take away from the reading experience in my humble opinion.

ROMANCE
If you’re picking up this book because it was marketed as a romance, I’d advise managing your expectations early on. It’s not a romance, but it does have romance. The romance is a very minor subplot—one that I honestly believe the book could have stood just fine without. I can’t really pinpoint what was missing that I wasn’t completely sold. That said, I did love Alice and Peter’s black cat x golden retriever dynamic, and I enjoyed them both as individual characters that I don’t really mind the romance all that much.

Still, I think their relationship and their chemistry could have been further developed. I might be in the minority here, but I expected just a little bit more than what was given. I went into this not expecting some sort of contemporary romance, but I can’t help but compare Alice and Peter to how Kuang portrayed Rin and Nezha in The Poppy War, which wasn’t even explicitly a romance, yet The Drowning Faith still has me in shackles to this day.

There’s also a particular moment in the book that I won’t go into too much detail about, but essentially the gist is that Alice resents Peter for something he did, and I really wish she had confronted him about it at some point. I mean, they were two lone people stuck in Hell for an indefinite amount of time—so I wish that had been acknowledged (or maybe it was, and I just missed it, in which case, this part of my review will be embarrassing if someone points it out).

CHARACTERS
This might just be R.F. Kuang’s best character work yet. I adored both Alice and Peter as individuals, and they felt like real people to me.

Alice Law is ambitious, yet unhinged (I mean, she quite literally went to Hell for the sake of her career.) She’s fascinating—and, to some extent, relatable. I, too, would spiral over a failed talking stage. I, too, would probably follow my professor to Hell to get what I want. Deep diving into her thoughts was interesting and I loved seeing her change throughout the book.

Peter Murdoch is just as driven, traveling to Hell for his own reasons—though I won’t talk about him in detail, as I think the best way to figure out who he is in this story is through Alice’s POV.

As I continued reading, I had a newfound appreciation for both characters, seeing fragments of myself in them. More than their list of items to bring to Hell (chalk and bread, among other things), they carried the weight of their pasts—both equally heartbreaking and layered. Chapters 13 and 22 stood out as some of my favorites in the entire book. Beyond the main characters, I also enjoyed how some of the side characters were written.

One of the things I love about Kuang’s writing is how masterfully she depicts characters� descent to madness—I eat it up every time. As expected from a dark academia novel, none of these characters are perfect. You will question their decisions. You will question their integrity. You will question their beliefs. These are people who would do anything, in whatever way possible, to serve their own interests. I love how Kuang critiques various aspects of academia through the lenses of morally gray individuals.

OTHER NOTES
To answer the inevitable question: yes, there were some tears at some point. But, more surprisingly, I laughed—a lot. The last thing I expected was for this book to contain an ounce of humor because I was honestly expecting this to be depressing for some reason. Well, actually, it was a bit depressing but also funny so I definitely let out a chuckle more than once while reading.

Now, for me, a book’s ending can make or break the entire reading experience. I'm still processing this one—it needs a reread before I can fully articulate my feelings about how it ended. Did it deliver emotional satisfaction? Was it rushed? Was it fulfilling? I won’t dive into spoilers here, but I’ll definitely explore it more in a spoiler-filled review in the future.

Overall, I had a fantastic time reading my sixth R.F. Kuang book. While it delves deeply into philosophy, logic, and maths, the action-packed scenes and the characters kept me engaged. At its heart, this book is really about finding your identity and what truly matters in life. If you strip away all your accolades, your genius, the recognition and praise from your professors, who are you?

Ultimately, my takeaway is that I truly am not made for grad school, and if I ever do go, I hope to find an advisor I wouldn’t have to follow to Hell just to get a recommendation letter.

Katabasis won’t be for everyone, but I’m confident that it will deeply resonate with some readers, becoming their new favorite book. I can’t wait to read the final version in August!

A big thank you to Harper Collins International for sending a digital galley my way. As always, all thoughts are my own.

SPOILERS HERE
[spoilers removed]]]> 4.12 2025 Katabasis
author: R.F. Kuang
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: arcs, 2025-reads
review:
4.5 rounded up

What does Hell look like? The answer varies on whom you ask. R.F. Kuang brilliantly weaves together different versions of Hell—from various religious & mythological texts and philosophical travelogues across cultures, Eastern and Western, to even students� claims that academia itself is hellish—in a creative and fascinating way that scratched a part of my brain.

WRITING
I was surprised that the story immediately plunges us into action, unfolding in a nonlinear narrative, shifting between past and present timelines, making for an engaging read. Considering how dense this book is, it surprised me that I didn’t really mind the pacing. I’m not the biggest fan of alternating timelines, but I didn’t have a problem with it in Katabasis for some reason.

While this book required a significant amount of brainpower to get through—given that its subject matter is vastly different from my academic background—I found it considerably more accessible than my experience with Babel. That said, my brain still needed a break after finishing it. However, recognizing some of the philosophers and notable figures Kuang name-dropped from my high school days was definitely a big help. It was the math and logic puzzles that almost had my brain disintegrating. Please don’t ask me anything about it because I have no idea what I read. If you’re just like me, don’t worry too much because I didn’t really feel like I was missing anything by not knowing nor understanding what the characters were talking about academic-wise.

Kuang employs didactic exposition through the characters� monologues and dialogues, which I appreciated. However, I can see why some readers might not, as similar critiques were made about Babel for doing the same, though through footnotes.

READING PREP
In terms of preparation, Dante’s Inferno was referenced the most, so I’m glad I read it prior to Katabasis. That being said, you don’t need to read any of the suggested books to supplement your reading, but it certainly enhances the experience. I didn’t have time to explore other works such as The Aeneid, The Iliad, and The Odyssey, but I watched videos of summaries and analyses on YouTube. I will consider getting to them before the release date, though, in preparation for a reread.

PLOT & WORLD-BUILDING
Again, I was surprised that the story doesn’t waste any time getting into the plot. But I think it helped because although the first couple of chapters were pretty dense (I think she named five philosophers in one sentence in the first chapter), I didn’t have a hard time getting into the book.

One thing that I truly loved about this underworld Kuang created was the fact that she combined different versions of hell into the Circles of Hell in Katabasis. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this so I respect the creativity and the research that must’ve went into it. I think it wove together seamlessly.

R.F. Kuang also recommended Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in an interview citing books to read before Katabasis and I can see why. This book was quite literally Alice but in the courts of Hell. I can’t describe it but the way Kuang reimagined Hell reminded me so much of Alice in Wonderland.

To me, the magic system is pretty straightforward. Granted, I don’t understand all of it, but I know enough. A lot of it was based on logic and theoretical mathematics, both of which were never my strongest. But again, not knowing doesn’t take away from the reading experience in my humble opinion.

ROMANCE
If you’re picking up this book because it was marketed as a romance, I’d advise managing your expectations early on. It’s not a romance, but it does have romance. The romance is a very minor subplot—one that I honestly believe the book could have stood just fine without. I can’t really pinpoint what was missing that I wasn’t completely sold. That said, I did love Alice and Peter’s black cat x golden retriever dynamic, and I enjoyed them both as individual characters that I don’t really mind the romance all that much.

Still, I think their relationship and their chemistry could have been further developed. I might be in the minority here, but I expected just a little bit more than what was given. I went into this not expecting some sort of contemporary romance, but I can’t help but compare Alice and Peter to how Kuang portrayed Rin and Nezha in The Poppy War, which wasn’t even explicitly a romance, yet The Drowning Faith still has me in shackles to this day.

There’s also a particular moment in the book that I won’t go into too much detail about, but essentially the gist is that Alice resents Peter for something he did, and I really wish she had confronted him about it at some point. I mean, they were two lone people stuck in Hell for an indefinite amount of time—so I wish that had been acknowledged (or maybe it was, and I just missed it, in which case, this part of my review will be embarrassing if someone points it out).

CHARACTERS
This might just be R.F. Kuang’s best character work yet. I adored both Alice and Peter as individuals, and they felt like real people to me.

Alice Law is ambitious, yet unhinged (I mean, she quite literally went to Hell for the sake of her career.) She’s fascinating—and, to some extent, relatable. I, too, would spiral over a failed talking stage. I, too, would probably follow my professor to Hell to get what I want. Deep diving into her thoughts was interesting and I loved seeing her change throughout the book.

Peter Murdoch is just as driven, traveling to Hell for his own reasons—though I won’t talk about him in detail, as I think the best way to figure out who he is in this story is through Alice’s POV.

As I continued reading, I had a newfound appreciation for both characters, seeing fragments of myself in them. More than their list of items to bring to Hell (chalk and bread, among other things), they carried the weight of their pasts—both equally heartbreaking and layered. Chapters 13 and 22 stood out as some of my favorites in the entire book. Beyond the main characters, I also enjoyed how some of the side characters were written.

One of the things I love about Kuang’s writing is how masterfully she depicts characters� descent to madness—I eat it up every time. As expected from a dark academia novel, none of these characters are perfect. You will question their decisions. You will question their integrity. You will question their beliefs. These are people who would do anything, in whatever way possible, to serve their own interests. I love how Kuang critiques various aspects of academia through the lenses of morally gray individuals.

OTHER NOTES
To answer the inevitable question: yes, there were some tears at some point. But, more surprisingly, I laughed—a lot. The last thing I expected was for this book to contain an ounce of humor because I was honestly expecting this to be depressing for some reason. Well, actually, it was a bit depressing but also funny so I definitely let out a chuckle more than once while reading.

Now, for me, a book’s ending can make or break the entire reading experience. I'm still processing this one—it needs a reread before I can fully articulate my feelings about how it ended. Did it deliver emotional satisfaction? Was it rushed? Was it fulfilling? I won’t dive into spoilers here, but I’ll definitely explore it more in a spoiler-filled review in the future.

Overall, I had a fantastic time reading my sixth R.F. Kuang book. While it delves deeply into philosophy, logic, and maths, the action-packed scenes and the characters kept me engaged. At its heart, this book is really about finding your identity and what truly matters in life. If you strip away all your accolades, your genius, the recognition and praise from your professors, who are you?

Ultimately, my takeaway is that I truly am not made for grad school, and if I ever do go, I hope to find an advisor I wouldn’t have to follow to Hell just to get a recommendation letter.

Katabasis won’t be for everyone, but I’m confident that it will deeply resonate with some readers, becoming their new favorite book. I can’t wait to read the final version in August!

A big thank you to Harper Collins International for sending a digital galley my way. As always, all thoughts are my own.

SPOILERS HERE
[spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2)]]> 18039177 453 Maggie Stiefvater 0545577179 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 currently-reading 4.21 2013 The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2)
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Hot Wax 224103430 The new novel from the bestselling author of If We Were Villains and Graveyard Shift—a vivid and immersive tale of one woman’s reckless mission to make sense of the events that shattered her childhood, and made her who she is

Summer, 1989: ten-year-old Suzanne is drawn like a magnet to her father’s forbidden world of electric guitars and tricked-out cars. When her mother remarries, she jumps at the chance to tag along on the concert tour that just might be Gil and the Kills� wild ride to glory. But fame has sharper fangs than anybody realized, and as the band blazes up the charts, internal power struggles set Gil and his group on a collision course destined for a bloody reckoning—one shrouded in mystery and lore for decades to come.

The only witness to a desperate act of violence, Suzanne spends the next twenty-nine years trying to disappear. She trades the music and mayhem of her youth for the quiet of the suburbs and the company of her mild-mannered husband Rob. But when her father’s sudden death resurrects the troubled past she tried so hard to bury, she leaves it all behind and hits the road in search of answers. Hitching her fate and Gil’s beloved car to two vagabonds who call an old Airstream trailer home, she finds everything she thought she’d lost desire, adventure, and the woman she once wanted to be. But Rob refuses to let her go. Determined to bring her back where she belongs, he chases her across the country—and drives her to a desperation all her own.

Drenched in knock-down drag-out rock and roll, Hot Wax is a raucous, breakneck ride to hell and back—where getting lost might be the only way to find yourself and save your soul.]]> 400 M.L. Rio 1668070022 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.94 2025 Hot Wax
author: M.L. Rio
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Chain-Gang All-Stars 216940533
Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly-popular, highly-controversial, profit-raising program in America's increasingly dominant private prison industry. It's the return of the gladiators and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

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

Moving from the Links in the field to the protestors to the CAPE employees and beyond, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic, excoriating look at the American prison system's unholy alliance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, and a clear-eyed reckoning with what freedom in this country really means.]]> 384 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 1529903823 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.13 2023 Chain-Gang All-Stars
author: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)]]> 214591924 In the epic follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Sword Catcher, praised by George R. R. Martin as “everything I look for in fantasy,� Lin and Kel must chart a perilous course between love and lies.

Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.

Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.

As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.]]> 576 Cassandra Clare 0525620028 z ⋆˙⟡� 5 2025-reads, arcs 4.55 2025 The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2025-reads, arcs
review:
I’ve been letting it sit for a while and I’ve changed my mind—I’m giving this 5
]]> <![CDATA[Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane, #1)]]> 210985549
Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher--the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is a physician from a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. But despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the ruler of Castellane's criminal underworld. But as long-kept secrets begin to unravel and forbidden attractions arise, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war--and the world into chaos?]]> 624 Cassandra Clare 052562001X z ⋆˙⟡� 3 2025-reads 3.75 3.93 2023 Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane, #1)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
3.75
]]> <![CDATA[The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)]]> 17675462 “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,� Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.�

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.]]> 409 Maggie Stiefvater 0545424925 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2017-reads, 2025-reads 4.05 2012 The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2017-reads, 2025-reads
review:
feb 2025 reread: just as good as the first time
]]> Giovanni's Room 57514637 178 James Baldwin z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads so beautiful 4.31 1956 Giovanni's Room
author: James Baldwin
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1956
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
so beautiful
]]> I Am Not Jessica Chen 216440984
And Jenna Chen will only ever be a disappointment.

So when Jenna makes a desperate wish to become her cousin, the last thing she expects is for it to come true—literally. All of a sudden she gets to live the life she’s always dreamed of . . . but being the model student at cutthroat Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she’d imagined. Worse, people seem to be forgetting that someone named Jenna Chen ever existed. But isn’t it worth trading it all away—her artistic talent, her childhood home, even the hope of golden boy Aaron Cai loving her back—to be Jessica Chen?

* Kids' Indie Next Pick * ]]> 318 Ann Liang 0369748565 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 3.99 2025 I Am Not Jessica Chen
author: Ann Liang
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2025-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Inferno: From the Divine Comedy (The Divine Comedy, #1)]]> 18998586
Esolen also provides a critical Introduction and endnotes, plus appendices containing Dante’s most important sources—from Virgil to Saint Thomas Aquinas and other Catholic theologians—that deftly illuminate the religious universe the poet inhabited.]]> Dante Alighieri z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads
wanted to at least read this before reading katabasis and i’m glad i did. now i want to read the rest of the divine comedy. ]]> 3.79 1320 Inferno: From the Divine Comedy (The Divine Comedy, #1)
author: Dante Alighieri
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1320
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
i was nervous going into this because i felt like i was too dumb to really get it BUT i was pleasantly surprised. the audiobook probably helped but it was pretty accessible in my opinion. also, dante’s inferno isn’t entirely new to me—i did a some research when i was in high school and watched some analysis videos simply because i was curious. i’m pretty sure this stemmed from cassandra clare quoting lines from here in the mortal instruments.

wanted to at least read this before reading katabasis and i’m glad i did. now i want to read the rest of the divine comedy.
]]> <![CDATA[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, #1)]]> 7929931 Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?"

So begins the tale of Alice, following a curious White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole and falling into Wonderland. A fantastical place, where nothing is quite as it seems: animals talk, nonsensical characters confuse, Mad Hatter's throw tea parties and the Queen plays croquet. Alice's attempts to find her way home become increasingly bizarre, infuriating and amazing in turn. A beloved classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has continued to delight readers, young and old for over a century.]]> 129 Lewis Carroll 0007350821 z ⋆˙⟡� 3 2025-reads 3.83 1865 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, #1)
author: Lewis Carroll
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1865
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2025-reads
review:

]]> 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 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 2016-reads Update 01/10/23: I no longer feel the same way about this book and this author. Thus, I have removed my rating. This review was from the mind of a 16-year-old. Again, I no longer feel the same way.

This is my first reread of this book. And yet like my first time reading this last year, I still have a love-hate relationship with the book itself. This is just one of the rereading that I planned this year and I really don't regret it. Revisiting this story is one of the best decisions I made this month so far. I was going to set aside rereading this because I have a huge TBR and I would like to get on with it, but I just couldn't resist the thought of rereading this book, and so I did.
It was almost as if I was reading it like the first time all over again. I hated the characters who needed to be hated *cough cough* Lydia and Trey *cough cough*. And i still hate the way it ended, but at the same time, I loved it. Is that weird? Yes. Does that make any sense at all? Absolutely not. But I don't care because like I said, I was in this love-hate relationship with this book. And the ending, OMG! *cue the smirk because of the book reference*
Someday, I would find time to reread this again to relive everything. But most likely I'd still hate the ending.
I NEED SOME RESOLUTION OKAY I JUST NEED IT I NEED A NOVELLA OR SOMETHING I JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER EVERYTHING GOD]]> 4.14 2015 Confess
author: Colleen Hoover
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2016/04/19
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: 2016-reads
review:
Update 01/10/23: I no longer feel the same way about this book and this author. Thus, I have removed my rating. This review was from the mind of a 16-year-old. Again, I no longer feel the same way.

This is my first reread of this book. And yet like my first time reading this last year, I still have a love-hate relationship with the book itself. This is just one of the rereading that I planned this year and I really don't regret it. Revisiting this story is one of the best decisions I made this month so far. I was going to set aside rereading this because I have a huge TBR and I would like to get on with it, but I just couldn't resist the thought of rereading this book, and so I did.
It was almost as if I was reading it like the first time all over again. I hated the characters who needed to be hated *cough cough* Lydia and Trey *cough cough*. And i still hate the way it ended, but at the same time, I loved it. Is that weird? Yes. Does that make any sense at all? Absolutely not. But I don't care because like I said, I was in this love-hate relationship with this book. And the ending, OMG! *cue the smirk because of the book reference*
Someday, I would find time to reread this again to relive everything. But most likely I'd still hate the ending.
I NEED SOME RESOLUTION OKAY I JUST NEED IT I NEED A NOVELLA OR SOMETHING I JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER EVERYTHING GOD
]]> An Academy for Liars 203956639 A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.

Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.

After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.

As Lennon continues in her studies her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College, and the way her mentor’s tragic and violent past intertwines with it. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns. For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption . . . and it's a test she's terrified she is going to fail.]]> 464 Alexis Henderson 0593638301 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.45 2024 An Academy for Liars
author: Alexis Henderson
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Wedding People 198902277 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250899576.

A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.]]> 384 Alison Espach z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.11 2024 The Wedding People
author: Alison Espach
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> All Boys Aren't Blue 53405868
From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.

Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.

5 hours 11 minutes]]> 6 George M. Johnson 1250247896 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 2025-reads 4.28 2020 All Boys Aren't Blue
author: George M. Johnson
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
very important and powerful read. i’m glad i listened to this on audio.
]]> <![CDATA[The Bone Conjurers (The Chronicles of Castellane, #3)]]> 216417412 Cassandra Clare z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.38 The Bone Conjurers (The Chronicles of Castellane, #3)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:
just finished the ragpicker king and I ALREADY NEED THIS IN MY HANDS
]]> Nobody Knows My Name 38458
Told with Baldwin's characteristically unflinching honesty, this “splendid book� ( The New York Times ) offers illuminating, deeply felt essays along with personal accounts of Richard Wright, Norman Mailer and other writers. 

“James Baldwin is a skillful writer, a man of fine intelligence and a true companion in the desire to make life human. To take a cue from his title, we had better learn his name.� � The New York Times]]> 242 James Baldwin 0679744738 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.37 1961 Nobody Knows My Name
author: James Baldwin
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1961
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> If Beale Street Could Talk 38463 197 James Baldwin 0307275930 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.28 1974 If Beale Street Could Talk
author: James Baldwin
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1974
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Hungerstone 212491001 Hungerstone is a thrillingly seductive sapphic romance for fans of S.T. Gibson’s A Dowry of Blood and Emilia Hart’s Weyward.

For what do you hunger, Lenore?

Lenore is the wife of steel magnate Henry, but ten years into their marriage, the relationship has soured and no child has arrived to fill the distance growing between them. Henry's ambitions take them out of London and to the imposing Nethershaw manor in the countryside, where Henry aims to host a hunt with society’s finest. Lenore keeps a terrible secret from the last time her husband hunted, and though they never speak of it, it haunts their marriage to this day.

The preparations for the event take a turn when a carriage accident near their remote home brings the mysterious Carmilla into Lenore's life. Carmilla who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night; Carmilla who stirs up a hunger deep within Lenore. Soon girls from local villages begin to fall sick before being consumed by a bloody hunger.

Torn between regaining her husband's affection and Carmilla's ever-growing presence, Lenore begins to unravel her past and in doing so, uncovers a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk . . .

Set against the violent wilderness of the moors and the uncontrolled appetite of the industrial revolution, Hungerstone is a compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the book that inspired Dracula: a captivating story of appetite and desire.]]> 336 Kat Dunn 1638932174 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 arcs, 2025-reads
"For what do you hunger, Lenore?�

Hungerstone is a sapphic vampire retelling of Carmilla, following Lady Lenore Crowther, a woman trapped in a loveless marriage. A void lingers within her, and life has been nothing but unkind—yet she must endure it all to maintain the facade of a prim and proper lady in Victorian England. But when Lenore and her husband retreat to the countryside, everything begins to change.

Before diving into my review, I have to mention that the ARC’s formatting was frustrating and made reading difficult. That said, it doesn’t take away from the story itself. I also recently read an ARC of V.E. Schwab’s upcoming sapphic vampire novel, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, so I couldn’t help but draw comparisons. However, I’ll keep this review as objective as possible.

FEMALE RAGE IS SO BACK! I had a great time reading Hungerstone, though I wish I had read Carmilla beforehand—I think it would have deepened my appreciation for the story. While it features a sapphic romance, that’s not the main focus. Instead, it delves into themes of gender roles, patriarchy, and class.

At its core, this is a slow-burn revenge story. While I love a good slow burn, the middle section dragged a bit and felt repetitive at times.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I wanted more from Lenore and Carmilla’s dynamic. To me, their relationship lacked depth, and Carmilla herself felt underdeveloped—more of a plot device for Lenore’s self-discovery than a fully fleshed-out character. Additionally, the story and its characters leaned heavily on tropes, making it all quite predictable.

It’s a solid book, but I expected more longing, more angst, and, frankly, more of the promised lesbian vampire action. However, I still highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a sapphic vampire book that also deals with deep topics and self-discovery.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.]]> 4.04 2025 Hungerstone
author: Kat Dunn
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: arcs, 2025-reads
review:
3.75

"For what do you hunger, Lenore?�

Hungerstone is a sapphic vampire retelling of Carmilla, following Lady Lenore Crowther, a woman trapped in a loveless marriage. A void lingers within her, and life has been nothing but unkind—yet she must endure it all to maintain the facade of a prim and proper lady in Victorian England. But when Lenore and her husband retreat to the countryside, everything begins to change.

Before diving into my review, I have to mention that the ARC’s formatting was frustrating and made reading difficult. That said, it doesn’t take away from the story itself. I also recently read an ARC of V.E. Schwab’s upcoming sapphic vampire novel, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, so I couldn’t help but draw comparisons. However, I’ll keep this review as objective as possible.

FEMALE RAGE IS SO BACK! I had a great time reading Hungerstone, though I wish I had read Carmilla beforehand—I think it would have deepened my appreciation for the story. While it features a sapphic romance, that’s not the main focus. Instead, it delves into themes of gender roles, patriarchy, and class.

At its core, this is a slow-burn revenge story. While I love a good slow burn, the middle section dragged a bit and felt repetitive at times.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I wanted more from Lenore and Carmilla’s dynamic. To me, their relationship lacked depth, and Carmilla herself felt underdeveloped—more of a plot device for Lenore’s self-discovery than a fully fleshed-out character. Additionally, the story and its characters leaned heavily on tropes, making it all quite predictable.

It’s a solid book, but I expected more longing, more angst, and, frankly, more of the promised lesbian vampire action. However, I still highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a sapphic vampire book that also deals with deep topics and self-discovery.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
]]> Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1) 6149 Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby.

Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe's new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Filled with bitter poetry and suspense as taut as a rope, Beloved is a towering achievement by Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison.]]> 325 Toni Morrison z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.96 1987 Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1)
author: Toni Morrison
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Dark Rise (Dark Rise, #1) 57383685
As London is threatened and old enmities are awakened, Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the fate that destroyed their world from returning to destroy his own.]]> 463 C.S. Pacat z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads i get it now 4.24 2021 Dark Rise (Dark Rise, #1)
author: C.S. Pacat
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
i get it now
]]> <![CDATA[The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)]]> 31817749
The Moon will soon return. Whether this heralds the destruction of humankind or something worse will depend on two women.

Essun has inherited the power of Alabaster Tenring. With it, she hopes to find her daughter Nassun and forge a world in which every orogene child can grow up safe.

For Nassun, her mother's mastery of the Obelisk Gate comes too late. She has seen the evil of the world, and accepted what her mother will not admit: that sometimes what is corrupt cannot be cleansed, only destroyed.

The remarkable conclusion to the post-apocalyptic and highly acclaimed trilogy that began with the multi-award-nominated The Fifth Season.]]> 416 N.K. Jemisin z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.32 2017 The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, #2)]]> 26228034 410 N.K. Jemisin z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.27 2016 The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, #2)
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)]]> 19161852
Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.

Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.]]> 468 N.K. Jemisin z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.29 2015 The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Spear Cuts Through Water 58258967 544 Simon Jimenez 0593156609 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads
the book itself is divisive—you either like it or you hate it. one thing’s for sure though� this is unlike anything i’ve ever read before. ]]> 4.15 2022 The Spear Cuts Through Water
author: Simon Jimenez
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
at first i was like WTF (derogatory) then it became WTF (complimentary)!!

the book itself is divisive—you either like it or you hate it. one thing’s for sure though� this is unlike anything i’ve ever read before.
]]> Out of the Woods 212365339 A married couple joins a week-long wilderness expedition to help them reconnect in this heartfelt companion novel to the viral TikTok sensation Out on a Limb.

High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have always been a sure thing. For the past seventeen years, they have had each other’s backs through all of life’s ups and downs.

But Sarah has begun to wonder... who is she without her other half?

When she decides to take on a project of her own, a fundraising gala in memoriam of her late mother, Sarah wants nothing more than to prove to herself—and to everyone else—that she doesn’t need Caleb’s help to succeed. She’s still her mother’s daughter, after all, independent and capable.

That is, until the event fails and Caleb uninvitedly steps in to save the day.

The rift that follows unearths a decade of grievances and doubts. Are they truly the same people they were when they got married at nineteen? Are they supposed to be?

In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to get out of their comfort zone and join a grueling, week-long hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches.

What follows is a life-affirming comedy of errors as two nature-averse people fight their way out of the woods in order to find their way back to their roots.]]> 336 Hannah Bonam-Young 0593871871 z ⋆˙⟡� 3 4.09 2025 Out of the Woods
author: Hannah Bonam-Young
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves:
review:

]]> Deep End 212808709 A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...]]> 464 Ali Hazelwood z ⋆˙⟡� 3 2025-reads 3.5 3.96 2025 Deep End
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
3.5
]]> <![CDATA[Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)]]> 16280929 SPARKS ARE IGNITING.
FLAMES ARE SPREADING.
AND THE CAPITOL WANTS REVENGE.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the annual Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all. she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws nears for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.]]> 391 Suzanne Collins 0545586178 z ⋆˙⟡� 5 Again, still my favorite in the series—both among the books and the movies. The last stretch in the games was so exhilarating and stressful, I found it hard to breathe. Actual rating this time is 4.75]]> 4.47 2009 Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: owned, favorites, 2020-reads, rereads, 2019-reads, 2025-reads
review:
Reread 01/31/25
Again, still my favorite in the series—both among the books and the movies. The last stretch in the games was so exhilarating and stressful, I found it hard to breathe. Actual rating this time is 4.75
]]> I Hope This Doesn't Find You 209135693 I Hope This Doesn't Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.

Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class." It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She'd never send them of course -- she'd rather die than hurt anyone's feelings -- but it's a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie's work.

All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. "You're attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you've been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft..."

Sadie doesn't have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them... that is, until they're accidentally sent out.

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It's her worst nightmare -- now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they're not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there's one person growing to appreciate the "real" Sadie -- Julius, the only boy she's sworn to hate...]]> Ann Liang 1546100849 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 3.70 2024 I Hope This Doesn't Find You
author: Ann Liang
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
perfect audiobook to listen to while journaling
]]> Untitled (Dark Rise, #3) 51810889 C.S. Pacat 0008595747 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.94 Untitled (Dark Rise, #3)
author: C.S. Pacat
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.94
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Dark Heir (Dark Rise, #2) 52780201
A new threat from the past is rising, and only a handful of heroes remain to fight. Pursued by dark forces, Will and his allies must leave the safety of the Hall and travel to the heart of the ancient world, making new and dangerous alliances, and revealing the shocking secrets of the past.

But Will is carrying a dark secret of his own—his true identity. Drawn to the beautiful and deadly James St. Clair, Will is pulled ever deeper into the web of the past, and finds himself tempted by the darkness within. As the ancient world threatens to return, can Will and his friends fight their fate? Or will the truths they learn tear their world apart?

Dark Heir is the explosive and highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dark Rise,from global phenomenon C. S. Pacat.]]> 496 C.S. Pacat 0062946196 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.54 2023 Dark Heir (Dark Rise, #2)
author: C.S. Pacat
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Song to Drown Rivers 218401840 Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.

Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within.

Trained by Fanli in everything from classical instruments to concealing emotion, Xishi hones her beauty into the perfect blade. But she knows Fanli can see through every deception she masters, the attraction between them burning away any falsehoods.

Once inside the enemy palace, Xishi finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king’s advisors while the king himself shows her great affection. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down. But the higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the farther she and Fanli have to fall—and if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.]]> 11 Ann Liang z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 3.66 2024 A Song to Drown Rivers
author: Ann Liang
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
definitely my favorite ann liang out of all that i’ve read so far. however, i still had some issues. considering that this was marketed as a fantasy book, i was disappointed to find little elements of that in this book. not much politics and world building either. (maybe i was expecting something leaning more towards the poppy war? that’s on me.) that said, it definitely made me emotional at some points. it was a good book, i think i was just expecting more. still giving it 4
]]> <![CDATA[As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow]]> 60501956
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.

But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.

Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.]]> 432 Zoulfa Katouh 1526648512 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 2025-reads 4.53 2022 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
author: Zoulfa Katouh
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: 2025-reads
review:

]]> The Lamb 216867498
But Mama’s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a beautiful, white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires, and make her own bid for freedom.

With this gothic coming-of-age tale, novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts—and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.]]> 336 Lucy Rose 1399619713 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.95 2025 The Lamb
author: Lucy Rose
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Good Spirits (Ghosted, #1) 219966756 “Good Spirits is an absolute knockout. A new Borison book feels like coming home in the best way. She's truly in a league of her own.� � Hannah Grace, New York Times bestselling author of Icebreaker

The USA Today bestselling author of Business Casual, B.K. Borison is back with a whimsical new holiday romance—this time with a magical twist—that will have everyone falling in love with the Ghost of Christmas Past.

He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. She’s not exactly Scrooge.

Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future.

Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together� and realize there might be more to moving on than expected.

With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection?

Filled with magic, mayhem, and cozy holiday charm, this swoony romance is B.K. Borison’s best yet!]]> B.K. Borison z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.56 2025 Good Spirits (Ghosted, #1)
author: B.K. Borison
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Theory of Dreaming (A Study in Drowning, #2)]]> 221228045
All stories come to an end.

Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairy tale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.

But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?

With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking.

As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.

Are dreams ever truly just dreams?]]> 416 Ava Reid 0063421674 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.91 2025 A Theory of Dreaming (A Study in Drowning, #2)
author: Ava Reid
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> My Friends 217163697 #1ÌýNew York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be put into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn the story of how the painting came to be. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this fresh testament to the transformative power of friendship and art.]]> 448 Fredrik Backman 1982112824 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.59 2025 My Friends
author: Fredrik Backman
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wild ​Reverence 222361609
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.]]> Rebecca Ross 1250373360 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.74 2025 Wild ​Reverence
author: Rebecca Ross
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Unmaking of June Farrow 199874115
One woman risks everything to end her family's centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line for as long as anyone can remember. But June is determined to be the last of her name, and in turn, be first Farrow to never find love. The whole town knows of the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving her daughter, June, to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors. Everyone in Jasper is certain that it's only a matter of time before she finds the same end, but June hasn't told a single soul that it's already begun.

After her grandmother’s death, a series of clues linking her mother's disappearance to the town's grim past emerge, leading June to a mysterious door. Behind it may lay the answer to the mysteries that have always lingered like a dark shadow over Jasper and the Farrows, but the further into the unknown she goes, the more her mind seems to unravel. Upon crossing the threshold, June embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but entangle her fate and her heart in a star-crossed love.

With The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young delivers a brilliant story with romance, mystery, and a touch of the impossible—a story you will never forget.]]> Adrienne Young 0593787331 z ⋆˙⟡� 3 2025-reads 4.01 2023 The Unmaking of June Farrow
author: Adrienne Young
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
read adrienne young’s debut the year it was released and liked it. despite not reading the rest of her backlist since, i had high hopes for this one, especially seeing the reviews and it did not disappoint. it kept me entertained the entire time i was listening to the audiobook. would love to read her other books now too.
]]> <![CDATA[Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)]]> 60524927
Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.

A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.]]> 7 Travis Baldree z ⋆˙⟡� 3 2025-reads 3.75 3.91 2022 Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)
author: Travis Baldree
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
3.75
]]> The Favorites 223164553 A love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship. Then a shocking incident at the Olympic Games suddenly ends their partnership.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the "real story" through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can't stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy either. So after a decade of silence she's telling her story, from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.]]> Layne Fargo z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 4.5 4.20 2025 The Favorites
author: Layne Fargo
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
4.5
]]> <![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins 0439023483 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 Will never get tired of rereading this book and will continue to do so for as long as I possibly could. It holds up really well despite being an older book, a modern classic if you will. There is a reason why these books and movies are so popular and have made a comeback a decade later: for how they so clearly reflect the world we live in today.

July 2020:
Thoughts will be in a reading vlog which I will link as soon as it goes live.

Reading vlog here:

March 2019:
This book got me into reading and I will forever love rereading it, no matter how long it takes for me to finish it.

August 2018:
RTC.]]> 4.34 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: favorites, owned, 2020-reads, rereads, 2019-reads, 2018-reads, 2025-reads
review:
January 2025:
Will never get tired of rereading this book and will continue to do so for as long as I possibly could. It holds up really well despite being an older book, a modern classic if you will. There is a reason why these books and movies are so popular and have made a comeback a decade later: for how they so clearly reflect the world we live in today.

July 2020:
Thoughts will be in a reading vlog which I will link as soon as it goes live.

Reading vlog here:

March 2019:
This book got me into reading and I will forever love rereading it, no matter how long it takes for me to finish it.

August 2018:
RTC.
]]> <![CDATA[He Who Drowned the World (The Radiant Emperor, #2)]]> 63132362
Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor.

But Zhu isn’t the only one with imperial ambitions. Her neighbor in the south, the courtesan Madam Zhang, wants the throne for her husband―and she’s strong enough to wipe Zhu off the map. To stay in the game, Zhu will have to gamble everything on a risky alliance with an old enemy: the talented but unstable eunuch general Ouyang, who has already sacrificed everything for a chance at revenge on his father’s killer, the Great Khan.

Unbeknownst to the southerners, a new contender is even closer to the throne. The scorned scholar Wang Baoxiang has maneuvered his way into the capital, and his lethal court games threaten to bring the empire to its knees. For Baoxiang also desires revenge: to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history―and in so doing, make a mockery of every value his Mongol warrior family loved more than him.

All the contenders are determined to do whatever it takes to win. But when desire is the size of the world, the price could be too much for even the most ruthless heart to bear…]]> 486 Shelley Parker-Chan 1250621836 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.22 2023 He Who Drowned the World (The Radiant Emperor, #2)
author: Shelley Parker-Chan
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Alchemised 207670238
“What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.�

Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed.

In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile, undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive.

According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit?

To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.]]> 976 SenLinYu z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.73 2025 Alchemised
author: SenLinYu
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.73
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Red City (The New Alchemists #1)]]> 222376533 DELUXE EDITION―a stunning hardcover edition featuring dark crimson sprayed edges

The Godfather meets The Magicians in the sweeping adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu. Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab, Red City is a dark and deadly contemporary fantasy of magical warfare, star-crossed ambition, and the pursuit of perfection at any cost, set in a glittering alternate Los Angeles.

Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation. An exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of sand, a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of themselves: more beautiful, more charismatic, simply more.

Among the gleaming skyscrapers and rolling foothills of Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates. For years, Grand Central and Lumines have been balanced on a razor’s edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city―and the paths of their lives―will be irrevocably transformed.

The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off across opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, ambition becomes power, loyalty becomes lies, and no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war.]]> 432 Marie Lu 1250885671 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.82 2025 Red City (The New Alchemists #1)
author: Marie Lu
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.82
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Alchemy of Secrets: A Novel 222706197 The HOTLY ANTICIPATED adult debut novel by the beloved, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series

It starts with a class in an old movie theater.

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

With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles—and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.]]> 336 Stephanie Garber 125078915X z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.63 2025 Alchemy of Secrets: A Novel
author: Stephanie Garber
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Tress of the Emerald Sea 63068384 #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us deeper into the Cosmere universe with a rollicking, riveting tale that will appeal to fans of The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?]]> 369 Brandon Sanderson 1250899656 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.28 2023 Tress of the Emerald Sea
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Untethered Sky 144398829 From World Fantasy Award-winning author Fonda Lee comes Untethered Sky, an epic fantasy fable about the pursuit of obsession at all costs.

Ester’s family was torn apart when a manticore killed her mother and baby brother, leaving her with nothing but her father’s painful silence and a single, overwhelming need to kill the monsters that took her family.

Ester’s path leads her to the King’s Royal Mews, where the giant rocs of legend are flown to hunt manticores by their brave and dedicated ruhkers. Paired with a fledgling roc named Zahra, Ester finds purpose and acclaim by devoting herself to a calling that demands absolute sacrifice and a creature that will never return her love. The terrifying partnership between woman and roc leads Ester not only on the empire’s most dangerous manticore hunt, but on a journey of perseverance and acceptance.]]> 4 Fonda Lee z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 4 3.69 2023 Untethered Sky
author: Fonda Lee
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
4
]]> <![CDATA[Jade Shards (The Green Bone Saga, #0.75)]]> 198298440 Green Bone Saga with four prequel short stories that delve into the personal histories of the Kaul and Ayt families.

The Witch and Her Friend. Before she was the ruthless leader of the Mountain clan, Ayt Mada was an orphan without friends at school except for one: Aun Ure, a teenage girl feared and renowned as an assassin but yearning for a simpler life.

Not Only Blood. Before he was the heir apparent of the No Peak clan, Kaul Lan challenged his grandfather and clan patriarch to help a boy who had lost everything.

Better Than Jade. Before they were married, Kaul Hilo and Maik Wen were a young couple facing long odds: the son of a top Green Bone clan in love with a stone-eye girl from a disreputable family.

Granddaughter Cormorant. Before she left and returned to Kekon, Kaul Shae was the apple of her grandfather’s eye…as well as a daring secret informer to a foreign country.

Contains an introduction and story notes by the author.]]> 4 Fonda Lee z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 4.25 4.28 2023 Jade Shards (The Green Bone Saga, #0.75)
author: Fonda Lee
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
4.25
]]> <![CDATA[The Jade Setter of Janloon (The Green Bone Saga, #0.5)]]> 61214720 Fonda Lee returns to the world of the Green Bone Saga with a new standalone novella.

The rapidly changing city of Janloon is ruled by jade, the rare and ancient substance that enhances the abilities and status of the trained Green Bone warriors who run the island’s powerful clans.

Pulo Oritono is not one of those warriors. He’s simply an apprentice jade setter with dreams of securing clan patronage and establishing a successful business. His hopes are dashed, however, when a priceless jade weapon is stolen from the shop where he works.

Now, Pulo has three days to hunt down the thief, find the jade, and return it to its rightful owner if he wants to save his future prospects, the people he cares about, and his very life. The desperate mission will lead Pulo to old vendettas, vast corruption, and questions about everything and everyone he thought he knew.]]> 4 Fonda Lee 1705072968 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 4 4.17 2022 The Jade Setter of Janloon (The Green Bone Saga, #0.5)
author: Fonda Lee
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
4
]]> <![CDATA[A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)]]> 58132544
As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.]]> 480 Rebecca Ross 0063055988 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.06 2022 A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)
author: Rebecca Ross
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)]]> 55077538
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.

When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness.

Mulan meets The Song of Achilles; an accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China.]]> 414 Shelley Parker-Chan 1250621801 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.81 2021 She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)
author: Shelley Parker-Chan
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Starling House 65213595 A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.]]> 320 Alix E. Harrow 1250799058 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.77 2023 Starling House
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)]]> 60657589
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

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

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.]]> 336 Heather Fawcett 059350013X z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.99 2023 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Jade Legacy (The Green Bone Saga, #3)]]> 59802903
The Kauls have been battered by war and tragedy. They are plagued by resentments and old wounds as their adversaries are on the ascent and their country is riven by dangerous factions and foreign interference that could destroy the Green Bone way of life altogether. As a new generation arises, the clan’s growing empire is in danger of coming apart.

The clan must discern allies from enemies, set aside bloody rivalries, and make terrible sacrifices� but even the unbreakable bonds of blood and loyalty may not be enough to ensure the survival of the Green Bone clans and the nation they are sworn to protect.]]> 29 Fonda Lee z ⋆˙⟡� 4 2025-reads 4.5 4.51 2021 Jade Legacy (The Green Bone Saga, #3)
author: Fonda Lee
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: 2025-reads
review:
4.5
]]> Death of the Author 214283593 The future of storytelling is here.

Life has thrown Zelu some curveballs over the years, but when she's suddenly dropped from her university job and her latest novel is rejected, all in the middle of her sister's wedding, her life is upended. Disabled, unemployed and from a nosy, high-achieving, judgmental family, she's not sure what comes next.

In her hotel room that night, she takes the risk that will define her life - she decides to write a book VERY unlike her others. A science fiction drama about androids and AI after the extinction of humanity. And everything changes.

What follows is a tale of love and loss, fame and infamy, of extraordinary events in one world, and another. And as Zelu's life evolves, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.

Because sometimes a story really does have the power to reshape the world.]]> 448 Nnedi Okorafor 0063391147 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.11 2025 Death of the Author
author: Nnedi Okorafor
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Last Contract of Isako 123161631 The Last Contract of Isako is a searing space opera like no other that takes aim squarely at late-stage capitalism. Get ready to meet an aging contractor, Ithmus Isako, whose final mission thrusts her deep into a world of espionage and sword fights on an isolated colony planet.]]> Fonda Lee 0356526712 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 5.00 2025 The Last Contract of Isako
author: Fonda Lee
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Treachery of Swans 220160823 From the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Dark Stands Still comes an atmospheric fantasy based on Swan Lake, following Odile as her plan to restore magic to her kingdom gets disrupted by a murder—forcing her to beg for help from the young woman whose identity she stole.

Can two girls—one enchanted, one the enchantress—save their kingdom and each other?

Two hundred years ago, a slighted deity stole the magic from Auréal and vanished without a trace. But seventeen-year-old Odile has a plan. All her life, her father, a vengeful sorcerer, has raised her for one singular task: infiltrate the royal palace and steal the king’s crown, an artefact with enough power to restore magic. But to enter the palace, she must assume the identity of a noblewoman. She chooses Marie d’Odette: famed for her beauty, a rumored candidate for future queen…and Odile’s childhood-friend-turned-sworn-enemy.

With her father’s help, Odile transforms Marie into a swan and takes her place at court. But when the king is brutally murdered and her own brother is accused, her plans are thrown into chaos. Desperate to free her brother, Odile is forced to team up with none other than elegant, infuriating Marie, the girl she has cursed…and the girl she can’t seem to stop thinking about despite her best efforts.

To make matters worse, there are whispers that the king’s murder was not at the hands of man, but beast. Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing feelings for Marie, Odile becomes tangled in a web of treachery and deceit. To save her kingdom, she must find the true path to magic…and find the real killer before they—or it—strikes again.]]> 368 A.B. Poranek 1665936509 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 5.00 2025 A Treachery of Swans
author: A.B. Poranek
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Babylonia 210204151
When kings fall, queens rise.

Nothing about Semiramis's upbringing could have foretold her legacy or the power she would come to wield. A female ruler, once an orphan raised on the outskirts of an empire - certainly no one in Ancient Assyria would bend to her command willingly. Semiramis was a woman who knew if she wanted power, she would have to claim it.

There are whispers of her fame in Mesopotamian myth- Semiramis was a queen, an ambitious warrior, a commander whose reputation reaches the majestic proportions of Alexander the Great. Historical record, on the other hand, falls eerily quiet.

In her second novel, Costanza Casati brilliantly weaves myth and ancient history together to give Semiramis a voice, charting her captivating ascent to a throne no one promised her. The world Casati expertly builds is rich with dazzling detail and will transport her readers to the heat of the Assyrian Empire and a world long gone.]]> 448 Costanza Casati 1464228213 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.08 2024 Babylonia
author: Costanza Casati
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/20
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]]> <![CDATA[Breath of the Dragon (Breathmarked, #1)]]> 211003924 The first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy duology based on characters and teachings created by Bruce Lee!

Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s honor—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.

But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. There is no future in honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.

As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself.]]> 341 Shannon Lee 1250902673 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.99 2025 Breath of the Dragon (Breathmarked, #1)
author: Shannon Lee
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/20
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]]> Say You'll Remember Me 216437557 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance.

There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong�

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> 416 Abby Jimenez 0349442827 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.29 2025 Say You'll Remember Me
author: Abby Jimenez
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/20
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]]> A Sea of Unspoken Things 207677131 A woman investigates her brother's mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow

The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life. 

When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved. 

But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.]]> 288 Adrienne Young 0593598709 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.71 2025 A Sea of Unspoken Things
author: Adrienne Young
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/20
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]]> <![CDATA[Fable for the End of the World]]> 209594872 The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this standalone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.

Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.

When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.

For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.

As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.

And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.]]> 384 Ava Reid 0063211556 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 3.89 2025 Fable for the End of the World
author: Ava Reid
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/20
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]]> Sounds Like Love 219301810 A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Joni Lark is living the dream. She’s one of the most coveted songwriters in LA…and she can’t seem to write. There’s an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it.

When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family’s music venue, will spark her inspiration. But when she gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is avoiding her, her mother’s memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing.

How can she think about writing her next song when everything is changing without her?

Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it—belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with hangups of his own.

Surely, he’s a figment of her overworked imagination.

But then the very real man attached to the voice shows up in Vienna Shores. He’s aggravating and gruff on the outside—nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni’s head—and he has a plan:

They’ll finish the song haunting them both, break their connection, and hope they don’t risk their hearts in the process.

Because that song stuck in their heads? Maybe it’s there for a reason.]]> Ashley Poston 0593641019 z ⋆˙⟡� 0 to-read 4.27 2025 Sounds Like Love
author: Ashley Poston
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/20
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]]> <![CDATA[Jade War (The Green Bone Saga, #2)]]> 41716919 Jade War, the sequel to the World Fantasy Award-winning novel Jade City, the Kaul siblings battle rival clans for honor and control over an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis.

On the island of Kekon, the Kaul family is locked in a violent feud for control of the capital city and the supply of magical jade that endows trained Green Bone warriors with supernatural powers they alone have possessed for hundreds of years.

Beyond Kekon's borders, war is brewing. Powerful foreign governments and mercenary criminal kingpins alike turn their eyes on the island nation. Jade, Kekon's most prized resource, could make them rich - or give them the edge they'd need to topple their rivals.

Faced with threats on all sides, the Kaul family is forced to form new and dangerous alliances, confront enemies in the darkest streets and the tallest office towers, and put honor aside in order to do whatever it takes to ensure their own survival - and that of all the Green Bones of Kekon.

Jade War is the second book of the Green Bone Saga, an epic trilogy about family, honor, and those who live and die by the ancient laws of blood and jade.]]> 587 Fonda Lee 0316440922 z ⋆˙⟡� 4 4.39 2019 Jade War (The Green Bone Saga, #2)
author: Fonda Lee
name: z ⋆˙⟡�
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/19
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves:
review:
honestly questioning my decisions as to why i listened to this on my 10k walks because i was STRESSED
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