en-US Wed, 02 Apr 2025 05:24:48 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 1921200
Without a moral compass to guide them, the children sink into lives of desperation and despair, played out against the grim background of Coketown, a wretched community shadowed by an industrial behemoth. Louisa falls into a loveless marriage with Josiah Bouderby, a vulgar banker, while the unscrupulous Tom, totally lacking in principle, becomes a thief who frames an innocent man for his crime. Witnessing the degradation and downfall of his children, Gradgrind realizes that his own misguided principles have ruined their lives.

Considered Dickens' harshest indictment of mid-19th-century industrial practices and their dehumanizing effects, this novel offers a fascinating tapestry of Victorian life, filled with the richness of detail, brilliant characterization, and passionate social concern that typify the novelist's finest creations.

Of Dickens' work, the eminent Victorian critic John Ruskin had this to say: "He is entirely right in his main drift and purpose in every book he has written; and all of them, but especially Hard Times, should be studied with close and earnest care by persons interested in social questions."]]> 368 Charles Dickens 0140433988 K. 3
But.

As far as a story set in an industrial town goes? This one, for me at least, pales in comparison to Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South.

Dickens DOES deal with a lot of hard hitting issues here - child abandonment, gambling, bank theft, the impact on children when you insist that they only learn the facts. But while it's often easy to PITY the characters (and incredibly easy to hate many of them), it's not easy to like them. Add in an abrupt feeling ending, and it was fine but ultimately forgettable for me. ]]> 3.54 1854
author: Charles Dickens
name: K.
average rating: 3.54
book published: 1854
rating: 3
read at: 2016/08/09
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: classics, own-it-hard-copy, setting-uk, 2016, audience-adult
review:
So here's the thing: I love Dickens. Like, a lot. But his short books tend to fall flat for me, while I adore his mammoth tomes full of segues and paid-by-the-word ridiculousness more than I can say. And this one is definitely full of the wonderful characters that Dickens created so well.

But.

As far as a story set in an industrial town goes? This one, for me at least, pales in comparison to Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South.

Dickens DOES deal with a lot of hard hitting issues here - child abandonment, gambling, bank theft, the impact on children when you insist that they only learn the facts. But while it's often easy to PITY the characters (and incredibly easy to hate many of them), it's not easy to like them. Add in an abrupt feeling ending, and it was fine but ultimately forgettable for me.
]]> 55720696
After the first settler on Titan trips her distress signal, neither remaining country on Earth can afford to scramble a rescue of its own, and so two sworn enemies are installed in the same spaceship.

Ambrose wakes up on the Coordinated Endeavor, with no memory of a launch. There’s more that doesn’t add up: Evidence indicates strangers have been on board, the ship’s operating system is voiced by his mother, and his handsome, brooding shipmate has barricaded himself away. But nothing will stop Ambrose from making his mission succeed—not when he’s rescuing his own sister.

In order to survive the ship’s secrets, Ambrose and Kodiak will need to work together and learn to trust one another�� especially once they discover what they are truly up against. Love might be the only way to survive.]]> 403 Eliot Schrefer K. 5
4.5 stars

What a fantastic mix of sci-fi, romance and thriller. There were times when the story felt a tad repetitive, which is why I can't give it the full five stars, but on the whole? I loved these characters. I loved the dynamic between them. And I loved they way the story played out to the point where I immediately borrowed book 2 from the library. ]]> 4.43 2021
author: Eliot Schrefer
name: K.
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, diverse-author, library, lgbtqia-narrator, own-voices, sci-fi, romance, setting-space
review:
Content warnings: [spoilers removed]

4.5 stars

What a fantastic mix of sci-fi, romance and thriller. There were times when the story felt a tad repetitive, which is why I can't give it the full five stars, but on the whole? I loved these characters. I loved the dynamic between them. And I loved they way the story played out to the point where I immediately borrowed book 2 from the library.
]]> 24486010 Afraid of the dark? You should be ... Part horror, part psychological nightmare, The Deep by Nick Cutter is a novel fans of Stephen King and Clive Barker won't want to miss.

A plague is destroying the world's population. The 'Gets makes people forget. First it's the small things, like where you left your keys ... then the not-so-small things, like how to drive. And finally your body forgets how to live.

But now an unknown substance with extraordinary power to heal has been discovered in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Nicknamed ambrosia, it might just be the miracle cure the world has been praying for.

A research lab has been established eight miles below the sea's surface, but all contact with the team has been lost. Dr Luke Nelson's brother is down there and as desperation for a cure outweighs common sense, he agrees to descend through the lightless fathoms ... perhaps to face an evil blacker than anything he could have imagined.]]> 395 Nick Cutter 1472206258 K. 3
I honestly have no idea what this was. Like, there were so many subplots all going on at once and so a decent number of them got left by the wayside. The 'Gets plotline especially was basically the reason for the story to exist but it was essentially forgotten by, like, chapter 3.

The setting was truly creepy as hell, and I liked the characters. But the pacing was slow a lot of the time and then there was so much action in the last hundred pages that by the time I got to the end I was so overwhelmed with information that I didn't really care...

Ultimately, I think Nick Cutter just isn't really for me. Because, like, The Troop was fine but nothing special too. ]]> 3.31 2015
author: Nick Cutter
name: K.
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2020/09/27
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: 2020, audience-adult, difficult-topics, horror, library, setting-oceania
review:
Trigger warnings: death, gore, body horror, animal cruelty, animal death, disappearance of a child, giant creepy insects, fatphobia.

I honestly have no idea what this was. Like, there were so many subplots all going on at once and so a decent number of them got left by the wayside. The 'Gets plotline especially was basically the reason for the story to exist but it was essentially forgotten by, like, chapter 3.

The setting was truly creepy as hell, and I liked the characters. But the pacing was slow a lot of the time and then there was so much action in the last hundred pages that by the time I got to the end I was so overwhelmed with information that I didn't really care...

Ultimately, I think Nick Cutter just isn't really for me. Because, like, The Troop was fine but nothing special too.
]]> 18492277
But after everything Miss Serena Barton has been through at the hands of his employer, she is determined to make him pay. She won't let anyone stop her—not even the man that all of London fears. They might call Hugo Marshall the Wolf of Clermont, but even wolves can be brought to heel...]]> 152 Courtney Milan 1937248062 K. 5
4.5 stars

I honestly don't know what it was about this that just WORKED for me. On paper, it kind of shouldn't? Like, the whole premise is pretty messed up. And yet. There was something about the dynamic between the two protagonists, about the "I have wildly misunderstood this situation and now I want vengeance" aspect of the plot, about the story as a whole that just.........yeah. It just worked for me. Idk what else to tell you.]]> 4.02 2012
author: Courtney Milan
name: K.
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, difficult-topics, diverse-author, historical-fiction, own-it-kindle, romance, setting-uk, short-stories-and-novellas
review:
Content warnings: rape (in the past), pregnancy, child abuse (in the past), death of a parent (in the past)

4.5 stars

I honestly don't know what it was about this that just WORKED for me. On paper, it kind of shouldn't? Like, the whole premise is pretty messed up. And yet. There was something about the dynamic between the two protagonists, about the "I have wildly misunderstood this situation and now I want vengeance" aspect of the plot, about the story as a whole that just.........yeah. It just worked for me. Idk what else to tell you.
]]> 202438304 ‘I did an evil thing to be put in here, and I’m going to have to do an evil thing to get out.��

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. There, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to keep her baby and escape to a commune. Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Every moment of their waking day is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid . . . and it’s usually paid in blood.]]> 496 Grady Hendrix K. 4
3.5 stars

Some of Hendrix's books are sure fire hits for me. Others are misses. This fell somewhere in the middle. I think I wanted it to be more like the witchcraft in Her Majesty's Coven, but I guess that's more paranormal and this is more horror so I shouldn't have expected that to be the case.

I also very definitely struggled with how........visceral.......some of the pregnancy-related descriptions were. And I think it perhaps could have leaned less into pregnancy as horror and more into "the situation these girls are being put into is extremely fucked up through no fault of their own". Like, regardless of whether or not they want to keep their babies, this is an extremely fucked up situation. And I would have liked the existence of the homes to be villainised more than it was.

I also would have loved it to be more of a female revenge story than it is. Like, it KIND OF is at times? But I wanted that aspect of the story to go harder than it did. Still, I'm glad I picked it up and while I don't know that I'll read it again in the future, it was definitely a book I enjoyed. ]]> 4.04 2025
author: Grady Hendrix
name: K.
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, difficult-topics, historical-fiction, library, horror, paranormal, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: pregnancy, childbirth, rape (in the past), blood, gore, vomit, body horror

3.5 stars

Some of Hendrix's books are sure fire hits for me. Others are misses. This fell somewhere in the middle. I think I wanted it to be more like the witchcraft in Her Majesty's Coven, but I guess that's more paranormal and this is more horror so I shouldn't have expected that to be the case.

I also very definitely struggled with how........visceral.......some of the pregnancy-related descriptions were. And I think it perhaps could have leaned less into pregnancy as horror and more into "the situation these girls are being put into is extremely fucked up through no fault of their own". Like, regardless of whether or not they want to keep their babies, this is an extremely fucked up situation. And I would have liked the existence of the homes to be villainised more than it was.

I also would have loved it to be more of a female revenge story than it is. Like, it KIND OF is at times? But I wanted that aspect of the story to go harder than it did. Still, I'm glad I picked it up and while I don't know that I'll read it again in the future, it was definitely a book I enjoyed.
]]> 1811543
As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest �� and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…]]> 261 Ilona Andrews 0441015832 K. 4
1/3/2025
THE HOLE PUNCH THOUGH.

2/1/2022
For some reason this time around (maybe because it's so close to New Year's??), Kate's speech to Curran about having no one to go home to or to give a shit if she survives the fight hit harder than anticipated.

23/7/2020
Oh hey I'm back on my bullshit again. This series is a comfort read. 2020 requires endless comfort reads. Fight me.

9/6/2019
Why do I always forget that Andrea and Julie are introduced to the series so early?! I love everyone and everything about this series. The end.

1/8/2018
I love this series more with every reread. Kate is a sassy little shit and I adore her. As I said in 2016, the dynamic between her and Curran is FANTASTIC. And honestly? I need a movie/TV version of this series just for the moment when she uses a vampire's fangs as a hole punch and then innocently claims that it's because her hole punch is broken. It's just freaking fantastic from start to finish.

30/7/2016
I love this series so much. Kate is such a badass, but knows her limits. A bunch of awesome recurring characters make their debuts in this one, and it's great. And the whole you-infuriate-me-but-we-flirt-a-lot tension between Kate and Curran is delightful.

3/10/2013
It took a while for me to get into this, but once I did I really enjoyed it. I loved the development of Kate's character - she's sassy and a total badass and generally 100% fabulous. And I loved the progression of her relationship with Curran. It's obvious that they're going to end up together at some point in the future, but there are so many tiny little steps, and precisely zero insta-love. There's almost no recognition of the fact that feelings are starting to develop, but there's still a clear shift from the first book in the series, and I can't wait to see how Andrews handles the progression in the subsequent books.

As with Magic Bites, it was often gory and a little bit creep-tastic. But it was brilliantly done, and a LOT of fun to read. Plus, the ending? FABULOUS.

BRB, requesting book 3 from my local library.]]> 4.30 2008
author: Ilona Andrews
name: K.
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: 2013, paranormal, urban-fantasy, library, 2016, setting-usa, audience-adult, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2025, own-it-kindle
review:
Trigger warnings: death, violence, blood, gore, war, animal death, seriously there is a lot of violence.

1/3/2025
THE HOLE PUNCH THOUGH.

2/1/2022
For some reason this time around (maybe because it's so close to New Year's??), Kate's speech to Curran about having no one to go home to or to give a shit if she survives the fight hit harder than anticipated.

23/7/2020
Oh hey I'm back on my bullshit again. This series is a comfort read. 2020 requires endless comfort reads. Fight me.

9/6/2019
Why do I always forget that Andrea and Julie are introduced to the series so early?! I love everyone and everything about this series. The end.

1/8/2018
I love this series more with every reread. Kate is a sassy little shit and I adore her. As I said in 2016, the dynamic between her and Curran is FANTASTIC. And honestly? I need a movie/TV version of this series just for the moment when she uses a vampire's fangs as a hole punch and then innocently claims that it's because her hole punch is broken. It's just freaking fantastic from start to finish.

30/7/2016
I love this series so much. Kate is such a badass, but knows her limits. A bunch of awesome recurring characters make their debuts in this one, and it's great. And the whole you-infuriate-me-but-we-flirt-a-lot tension between Kate and Curran is delightful.

3/10/2013
It took a while for me to get into this, but once I did I really enjoyed it. I loved the development of Kate's character - she's sassy and a total badass and generally 100% fabulous. And I loved the progression of her relationship with Curran. It's obvious that they're going to end up together at some point in the future, but there are so many tiny little steps, and precisely zero insta-love. There's almost no recognition of the fact that feelings are starting to develop, but there's still a clear shift from the first book in the series, and I can't wait to see how Andrews handles the progression in the subsequent books.

As with Magic Bites, it was often gory and a little bit creep-tastic. But it was brilliantly done, and a LOT of fun to read. Plus, the ending? FABULOUS.

BRB, requesting book 3 from my local library.
]]> 62039333
From New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer comes an electrifying fantasy romance, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Victoria Aveyard.

A desperate prince.
A daring outlaw.
A dangerous flirtation.

In the Wilds of Kandala, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade has been watching people suffer for too long. A mysterious sickness is ravaging the land and the cure, Moonflower Elixir, is only available for the wealthy. So every night, she defies the royal edicts and sneaks out, stealing Moonflower petals and leaving the elixir for those in need.

In the palace of Kandala, Prince Corrick serves as the King's Justice, meting out vicious punishments and striking fear into the hearts of agitators and outlaws. Corrick knows he must play this role convincingly--with a shortage of elixir and threats of rebellion looming ever closer, the King's grip on power is tenuous at best, and Corrick knows his brother is the kingdom's best hope for survival.

But when an act of unspeakable cruelty brings the royal and the outlaw face to face, the natural enemies are faced with an impossible choice--and a surprising spark. Will they follow their instincts to destroy each other? Or will they save the kingdom together . . . and let that spark ignite?]]> 480 Brigid Kemmerer 1547610476 K. 4
I'm trying to make myself read more YA fantasy this year and this seemed like a good place to start because I've really enjoyed every Kemmerer book I've read. This was no exception. It was gripping, action-packed, and it didn't get bogged down in the worldbuilding. It also felt very much like a mix of dystopian and fantasy, which really worked for me. That being said, the chances of me remembering to pick up the rest of the trilogy is slim to none because I'm a monster. ]]> 4.14 2021
author: Brigid Kemmerer
name: K.
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, difficult-topics, fantasy, dystopian, library, setting-fantasy
review:
Content warnings: violence, death, death of a loved one, grief, death of a child

I'm trying to make myself read more YA fantasy this year and this seemed like a good place to start because I've really enjoyed every Kemmerer book I've read. This was no exception. It was gripping, action-packed, and it didn't get bogged down in the worldbuilding. It also felt very much like a mix of dystopian and fantasy, which really worked for me. That being said, the chances of me remembering to pick up the rest of the trilogy is slim to none because I'm a monster.
]]> 224285265 husband. Pro quarterback Ryan Ralston has always known two things. First, he’s desperately in love with his best friend Emme Ahlborg. Second–and most importantly–he still has no idea how to tell her.

The marriage pact they made in their senior yearbook was the closest he ever came. Years passed and Emme forgot about their promise. Ryan never did, especially not on his thirtieth birthday.

Emme can’t catch a break. Always unlucky in love, her cheating ex is a groomsman in her best friend’s wedding—and there’s no way she’s showing up alone.

Ryan offers her the one thing better than a wedding a revenge husband. And he’s not just any fake husband but the NFL’s brightest star…and in need of serious reputation rehab.

Playing the part of the happy couple comes easy and soon enough, the lines between real and fake blur. They disappear altogether when there’s just one bed.

All Ryan has to do is save Emme from her ex, find her step-sister an internship, and get his wife to fall in love with him—or fumble the one thing he’s ever her heart. ]]> 477 Kate Canterbary K. 5
4.5 stars

I loved this. I really did. The revenge plot. The way he's been pining for like fifteen years. The dynamic between them. Did I care about the football stuff? Not in the slightest. Do I now want books for all of his ridiculous teammates? YES. The romance was sweet and I adored both the protagonists.

So why not a five star read? It's too damned long. Don't get me wrong, I loved this a lot. But it didn't need to be FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY PAGES. It's a contemporary romance. They already know each other. That's too many damned pages. ]]> 4.24 2025
author: Kate Canterbary
name: K.
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, contemporary, disability-or-medical-condition, kindle-unlimited, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: cheating, body shaming, toxic relationship (in the past), shitty parenting, death of a parent (in the past), chronic illness, anaphylaxis

4.5 stars

I loved this. I really did. The revenge plot. The way he's been pining for like fifteen years. The dynamic between them. Did I care about the football stuff? Not in the slightest. Do I now want books for all of his ridiculous teammates? YES. The romance was sweet and I adored both the protagonists.

So why not a five star read? It's too damned long. Don't get me wrong, I loved this a lot. But it didn't need to be FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY PAGES. It's a contemporary romance. They already know each other. That's too many damned pages.
]]> 41947093
Guy Frisby and his sister Amanda live in rural seclusion after a family scandal. But when Amanda breaks her leg in a riding accident, she’s forced to recuperate at Rookwood Hall, where Sir Philip is hosting the Murder.

Guy rushes to protect her, but the Murder aren’t what he expects. They’re educated, fascinating people, and the notorious Sir Philip turns out to be charming, kind—and dangerously attractive.

In this private space where anything goes, the longings Guy has stifled all his life are impossible to resist...and so is Philip. But all too soon the rural rumour mill threatens both Guy and Amanda. The innocent country gentleman has lost his heart to the bastard baronet—but does he dare lose his reputation too?]]> 251 K.J. Charles 1912688026 K. 4
This is, as all of Charles' books are, utterly delightful. It's fun and funny and emotional in unexpected ways. Part of me wishes we got Amanda's narrative in this too because I feel like that would have been a particularly fun addition to the story. But regardless, I had a lot of fun reading this. ]]> 4.39 2018
author: K.J. Charles
name: K.
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, library, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: medical content, classism, homophobia, racism, death of a parent (in the past), antisemitism

This is, as all of Charles' books are, utterly delightful. It's fun and funny and emotional in unexpected ways. Part of me wishes we got Amanda's narrative in this too because I feel like that would have been a particularly fun addition to the story. But regardless, I had a lot of fun reading this.
]]> 66604154 A Power Unbound is the final entry in Freya Marske’s beloved, award-winning Last Binding trilogy, the queer historical fantasy series that began with A Marvellous Light.

Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorn, would love a nice, safe, comfortable life. After the death of his twin sister, he thought he was done with magic for good. But with the threat of a dangerous ritual hanging over every magician in Britain, he’s drawn reluctantly back into that world.

Now Jack is living in a bizarre puzzle-box of a magical London townhouse, helping an unlikely group of friends track down the final piece of the Last Contract before their enemies can do the same. And to make matters worse, they need the help of writer and thief Alan Ross.

Cagey and argumentative, Alan is only in this for the money. The aristocratic Lord Hawthorn, with all his unearned power, is everything that Alan hates. And unfortunately, Alan happens to be everything that Jack wants in one gorgeous, infuriating package.

When a plot to seize unimaginable power comes to a head at Cheetham Hall—Jack’s ancestral family estate, a land so old and bound in oaths that it’s grown a personality as prickly as its owner—Jack, Alan and their allies will become entangled in a night of champagne, secrets, and bloody sacrifice . . . and the foundations of magic in Britain will be torn up by the roots before the end.]]> 368 Freya Marske 125078896X K. 4
I feel like I would have liked this this better if I'd read it immediately after book 2 because it's been long enough that a lot of the details of the previous two books have become more than a little hazy to me. Oh well.

That said, I loved the dynamic between the two leads and the romance was sweet. I do feel like I was missing a few things in the overall plot simply because I went so long between the first two books and this one. But that's a Me Problem and not a Book problem. I'd also forgotten a few things about how the magic system worked. Overall, the second one was my favourite of the trilogy, but this was pretty stinking delightful too. ]]> 4.37 2023
author: Freya Marske
name: K.
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, australian, fantasy, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, library, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: homophobia, violence, murder, suicide, classism, grief, gun violence, child death

I feel like I would have liked this this better if I'd read it immediately after book 2 because it's been long enough that a lot of the details of the previous two books have become more than a little hazy to me. Oh well.

That said, I loved the dynamic between the two leads and the romance was sweet. I do feel like I was missing a few things in the overall plot simply because I went so long between the first two books and this one. But that's a Me Problem and not a Book problem. I'd also forgotten a few things about how the magic system worked. Overall, the second one was my favourite of the trilogy, but this was pretty stinking delightful too.
]]> 36952621 A high-stakes world of adventure, passion, danger, and betrayal . . . . From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer comes the New York Times-bestselling YA novel Renegades.

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies--humans with extraordinary abilities--who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice--and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.]]> 552 Marissa Meyer 1250180635 K. 2
I picked this up because a student recommended it to me. She recommended it in 2023. I borrowed it. And then I put off reading it for 18 solid months because even though I've read and loved The Lunar Chronicles MULTIPLE times, there was something about the premise of this that just didn't feel like it was up my alley. Anyway, she asked recently if I'd read it yet and I had to confess that I hadn't. And now I wish I'd given up the first time I thought about possibly DNFing, which was like 20 pages in. Because this? This was a fucking SLOG and I could not tell you why.

Admittedly, my brain has been made of pudding this year and that could definitely have something to do with it. But also, I just......didn't care? I wanted to care, I really did. But this world and these characters? They just weren't for me. The vibes were off, as the youth would say. In summary: I was bored and this felt like wading through quicksand.]]> 4.16 2017
author: Marissa Meyer
name: K.
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, difficult-topics, library, sci-fi, setting-fantasy
review:
Content warnings: death of a parent, death of a child, violence, gun violence, blood, explosions, fire, injury details, murder, grief

I picked this up because a student recommended it to me. She recommended it in 2023. I borrowed it. And then I put off reading it for 18 solid months because even though I've read and loved The Lunar Chronicles MULTIPLE times, there was something about the premise of this that just didn't feel like it was up my alley. Anyway, she asked recently if I'd read it yet and I had to confess that I hadn't. And now I wish I'd given up the first time I thought about possibly DNFing, which was like 20 pages in. Because this? This was a fucking SLOG and I could not tell you why.

Admittedly, my brain has been made of pudding this year and that could definitely have something to do with it. But also, I just......didn't care? I wanted to care, I really did. But this world and these characters? They just weren't for me. The vibes were off, as the youth would say. In summary: I was bored and this felt like wading through quicksand.
]]> 154001208 A Prequel Novella to Forever Your Rogue

Raymond Travers is a Busy Man. The harried eldest son has a to-do list as long as his father’s last bender, and his plans don’t include spending Allhallowtide playing chaperone to a spirited debutante. But Raymond will do whatever it takes to secure a business deal with Lord Holland…including agreeing to keep the baron’s daughter out of trouble at the harvest fair.

Unfortunately for Raymond, Rosalie Holland is not to be trifled with. A hopeless romantic and hellion-in-the-making, Rosie has impatiently waited all year for the return of Ian Renwood, the object of her girlhood fantasies. But at every turn, Rosalie’s rebellious plans for Renwood are dashed by the sinfully handsome glower of a certain stoic chaperone.

Raymond and Rosalie have no choice but to grin and bear it through the harvest festival, a riotous romp of mysterious fortune-telling, shadowy bonfires, and ghostly abandoned mills. But as their own mischief and mayhem turns heated, a single day together might not be enough...]]> 109 Erin Langston K. 5
4.5 stars

This was utterly delightful. Genuinely. I loved getting to see Nate as a child in the background of this story, and while I do wish this had happened over two consecutive years' worth of fairs rather than a single day, I had such a lovely time with this that ultimately I didn't mind that it's got an air of instalove about it. ]]> 4.10 2022
author: Erin Langston
name: K.
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, historical-fiction, kindle-unlimited, romance, setting-uk, short-stories-and-novellas
review:
Content warnings: misogyny, shitty parenting

4.5 stars

This was utterly delightful. Genuinely. I loved getting to see Nate as a child in the background of this story, and while I do wish this had happened over two consecutive years' worth of fairs rather than a single day, I had such a lovely time with this that ultimately I didn't mind that it's got an air of instalove about it.
]]> 209428836 A horny and hilarious second chance romcom about an aspiring event planner and a pro surfer, thrown together at a wedding five years after their break up ��

Kate Tripp is an over-achiever with a spreadsheet for every occasion. Five years ago, Kate planned to marry her college sweetheart but when she asked, he said no and moved to Bali. Ouch. But that's in the past, and now her bestie is getting married on Christmas Eve and she’s the wedding planner.

Nate Miller is the darling of the pro surfing circuit. The handsome and easy-going athlete always wanted to be a surfer and now he’s living his dream. Except he doesn’t speak to his only family, lives out of his suitcase, and spends way too much time thinking about his ex.

The wedding guests are gathered at a luxury estate in remote New Zealand when Nate shows up without an RSVP. He didn’t come to make waves, but damn, Katie is sexy when she’s mad.

And she’s very mad.

It’ll take a Kiwi Christmas miracle for these enemies to become lovers the second time around.

***

This is a 29,000 word, HIGH SPICE enemies-to-lovers, holiday novella. Tropes include there's Only One Bed, snowed in (it's New Zealand, so rain), and 'ride my **** like you stole it'.

It’s the Wedding Date meets the Grinch. #Grinchcore

CWs include explicit sex, alcohol consumption and depiction of generalized anxiety disorder.

Formerly published as part of the Very Kiwi Christmas anthology.]]> 113 Esme Brett K. 4
A sweet and charming novella featuring a woman who comes face to face with her ex while planning her best friend's Christmas Eve wedding. There's a dose of only one bed. There's a hefty dollop of forced proximity. The groom wears jandals. What more could you want in life?]]> 3.57
author: Esme Brett
name: K.
average rating: 3.57
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, contemporary, kindle-unlimited, romance, setting-oceania, short-stories-and-novellas
review:
Content warnings: toxic parenting (in the past), hospitalisation of a family member

A sweet and charming novella featuring a woman who comes face to face with her ex while planning her best friend's Christmas Eve wedding. There's a dose of only one bed. There's a hefty dollop of forced proximity. The groom wears jandals. What more could you want in life?
]]> 37825521 Riverdale, this prequel novel explores what the gang was doing before Season One.

Why did Jughead and Archie have a falling out? What did Veronica's life look like in the Big Apple? And how long has Betty really been in love with Archie?

Told from multiple POVs, your favorite characters tell their story their way.]]> 280 Micol Ostow 1338289446 K. 2
2.5 stars

Look, I watched season 1 of Riverdale when it came out and that was more than enough of this nonsense for me. So why did I read this? Because I stupidly decided to try and read all the books in a particular collection at work and this is one of those books.

The whole book takes place in a single day and it probably would have made more sense to me if I'd rewatched the pilot before I read this but lol nope ain't gonna do that. It was very fast paced, but ultimately a fairly pointless read because it doesn't really give us much about the characters or their history that we don't see in the first couple of episodes of the show (as far as I can remember, anyway).

So yeah. It was readable. But I don't believe for a second that it needed to exist. ]]> 3.25 2018
author: Micol Ostow
name: K.
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, contemporary, library, bipoc-narrator, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: classism, teacher/student relationship, alcoholism, bullying

2.5 stars

Look, I watched season 1 of Riverdale when it came out and that was more than enough of this nonsense for me. So why did I read this? Because I stupidly decided to try and read all the books in a particular collection at work and this is one of those books.

The whole book takes place in a single day and it probably would have made more sense to me if I'd rewatched the pilot before I read this but lol nope ain't gonna do that. It was very fast paced, but ultimately a fairly pointless read because it doesn't really give us much about the characters or their history that we don't see in the first couple of episodes of the show (as far as I can remember, anyway).

So yeah. It was readable. But I don't believe for a second that it needed to exist.
]]> 217009901
Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates's attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me illuminates the past, bracingly confronts the present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward.]]> 229 Ta-Nehisi Coates 1405971800 K. 4
I think I'm going to have to revisit this in the future, because while I liked all three of the essays, I feel like I missed - ironically - at least some part of the underlying message that connects the three. In my defence, my brain is currently made of soup so this is definitely more about me than anything to do with the book itself. As always, Coates' writing is beautiful. I think next time, I'll try this as an audiobook because reading it on my tablet in the Libby app was definitely not an optimal reading experience. ]]> 4.67 2024
author: Ta-Nehisi Coates
name: K.
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, bipoc-narrator, difficult-topics, diverse-author, library, non-fiction, own-voices, setting-africa, setting-middle-east, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: racism, colonialism, xenophobia

I think I'm going to have to revisit this in the future, because while I liked all three of the essays, I feel like I missed - ironically - at least some part of the underlying message that connects the three. In my defence, my brain is currently made of soup so this is definitely more about me than anything to do with the book itself. As always, Coates' writing is beautiful. I think next time, I'll try this as an audiobook because reading it on my tablet in the Libby app was definitely not an optimal reading experience.
]]> 61848341 C’est cela l’amour, et tu es mon rêve...

Bryce:

Hockey is my life. This game pulled me from my tiny Quebec hometown all the way to the NHL, and now? I’m the number one player in the league. Team capitaine for the Montréal Étoiles. I’m shattering records and packing arenas every night, and I’ve promised my team: we’re going to win the Stanley Cup this year.

But I’m keeping big secrets. I'm thinking dangerous thoughts, and dreaming about impossible things. Like how a man’s lips might taste, or how his body might feel in my arms.

I can’t go there. I’ve got to focus. Team. Hockey. Cup. What my heart wants doesn’t matter.

So why am I falling head over heels at the NHL's All-Star Weekend?

I can’t do this. I can’t fall for Hunter Lacey. He’s a hockey player. We’re both in the NHL. He’s on a different team. And, oh yeah, he’s straight.

Hunter:

I’m a middle-of-the-road, nothing-special hockey player. Good enough to be drafted into the NHL, and I’ve been on the roster for the past two years, but I’ll never make the Hall of Fame. I’m just trying to keep my head up and get through each day, until this wild ride comes to an end.

Deep thinking isn’t really my thing. Look inside myself? Lotta beer and burgers there.

I never thought I’d be invited to the All-Star Weekend, but here I am. And there’s my hero: Bryce Michel, league superstar.

Saying hello to Bryce turns into hours spent together on the ice, and then an invite to dinner, and then days at each other's side. I’m in heaven. He’s my hero, and this is the coolest��

Then Bryce’s lips land on mine, and the world turns upside down.

Gravity is an MM romance featuring bi/gay awakening, friends to lovers, team shenanigans, fast-paced hockey, ice-melting sizzle, and swoony Québécois love songs.

Gravity is set in the same universe as The Rest of the Story .]]> 273 Tal Bauer K. 5
24/2/2025
On reread, I'm bumping this up to five stars. I adored it on reread, and while I definitely stand by what I said last time about the constant smattering of French words, it didn't annoy me as much this time. Precious characters. A precious romance. A heartfelt story. What's not to love?

1/5/2023
4.5 stars

I kind of wish I'd read this book before I read The Rest of the Story because as delightful as this was, I think I would have loved it just that liiiiiittle bit more if I hadn't been comparing it to that.

Anyway, the protagonists were precious and I loved the relationship that develops between them, not to mention the awkwardness that comes with it - neither of them has been in a relationship with a man before, and Hunter has never been attracted to a man before, so neither of them are entirely sure what it means or how to proceed or whether the other is feeling the same way.

I love that neither of these books have featured a third act break up, and that any drama in the romances comes from external sources and is about their safety rather than their relationship.

My one gripe is that I got really sick of how often Bryce drops random French words into the middle of sentences. Like, don't get me wrong, I know he's Quebecois and that French is likely his first language. I understand him cursing or swearing in French. I understand him expressing his feelings in French. But dropping random French words into practically every sentence like Salt Bae is sprinkling them in from above? No thanks. It kept pulling me out of the story.

But despite me having complained for an entire paragraph, it's a very minor gripe and I genuinely did adore this.]]> 4.11 2022
author: Tal Bauer
name: K.
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2023, audience-adult, contemporary, diverse-author, lgbtqia-narrator, kindle-unlimited, own-voices, romance, setting-north-america, 2025, 5-star
review:
Trigger warnings: graphic descriptions of injuries, blood, hospitalisation of a loved one, internalised homophobia, violence.

24/2/2025
On reread, I'm bumping this up to five stars. I adored it on reread, and while I definitely stand by what I said last time about the constant smattering of French words, it didn't annoy me as much this time. Precious characters. A precious romance. A heartfelt story. What's not to love?

1/5/2023
4.5 stars

I kind of wish I'd read this book before I read The Rest of the Story because as delightful as this was, I think I would have loved it just that liiiiiittle bit more if I hadn't been comparing it to that.

Anyway, the protagonists were precious and I loved the relationship that develops between them, not to mention the awkwardness that comes with it - neither of them has been in a relationship with a man before, and Hunter has never been attracted to a man before, so neither of them are entirely sure what it means or how to proceed or whether the other is feeling the same way.

I love that neither of these books have featured a third act break up, and that any drama in the romances comes from external sources and is about their safety rather than their relationship.

My one gripe is that I got really sick of how often Bryce drops random French words into the middle of sentences. Like, don't get me wrong, I know he's Quebecois and that French is likely his first language. I understand him cursing or swearing in French. I understand him expressing his feelings in French. But dropping random French words into practically every sentence like Salt Bae is sprinkling them in from above? No thanks. It kept pulling me out of the story.

But despite me having complained for an entire paragraph, it's a very minor gripe and I genuinely did adore this.
]]> 74858619

From the author of Love & Other Disasters comes a sparkling grumpy-meets-sunshine rom-com featuring two men's sweeping journey across the Northwestern wilderness.
.............................

When Alexei Lebedev finally comes out to his conservative community, it does not go well. That's how he ended up on the rugged Pacific Crest Trail, hoping he can figure out a new life plan in the thousands of miles it'll take to walk the famed hike. He's prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he's not prepared for is the ray of sunshine named Ben Caravalho.

Charismatic and outgoing, Ben's personality and infectious laughter is a stark opposite to Alexei's quiet, reserved demeanor. But no matter how determined Alexei is to hike the trail alone, it seems he and Ben can't avoid being drawn to each other. Through snow crossings and close calls with coyotes, Alexei inches closer to letting Ben in. As Alexei learns of Ben's loving family and supportive friends, he begins to get a taste of what found family and belonging could truly feel like. But just as Alexei starts to let down his defenses, a sudden change in plans reawakens his fears - and he must discover if he has the courage to face something even scarier than the trail less letting himself fall.
]]> 384 Anita Kelly 1472286073 K. 5
26/2/2025
Yeah, I stand by everything I said last time. This is absolutely precious and heartfelt and I adored every second of it.

25/7/2023
Oh, this was delightful. Don't get me wrong, I could NEVER hike even a day on the Pacific Coast Trail. But I had a truly lovely time trekking it through Alexei and Ben. The journey that they both go on - physically and in terms of their character development - is fabulous, but Alexei's journey in terms of his self worth, his faith and his neurodiversity was truly something special.

The early stages of the book were...quiet, for want of a better word. But as the relationship between the two develops and as various side characters are introduced, it really blossomed and I loved every single second of it. Especially the inclusion of Alanna by Tamora Pierce, obviously. ]]> 4.20 2023
author: Anita Kelly
name: K.
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2023, 5-star, audience-adult, contemporary, difficult-topics, diverse-author, lgbtqia-narrator, omg-that-cover, own-it-kindle, romance, neurodiversity, setting-usa, 2025
review:
Trigger warnings: homophobia, toxic parenting, religious bigotry, injury detail, grief, mental health, mentions of dementia, mentions of death of a loved one.

26/2/2025
Yeah, I stand by everything I said last time. This is absolutely precious and heartfelt and I adored every second of it.

25/7/2023
Oh, this was delightful. Don't get me wrong, I could NEVER hike even a day on the Pacific Coast Trail. But I had a truly lovely time trekking it through Alexei and Ben. The journey that they both go on - physically and in terms of their character development - is fabulous, but Alexei's journey in terms of his self worth, his faith and his neurodiversity was truly something special.

The early stages of the book were...quiet, for want of a better word. But as the relationship between the two develops and as various side characters are introduced, it really blossomed and I loved every single second of it. Especially the inclusion of Alanna by Tamora Pierce, obviously.
]]> 38619 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780441014897.

Ilona Andrews invites you to experience the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring the intriguing fantasy world of mercenary Kate Daniels��

When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles.

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t have it any other way…]]> 260 Ilona Andrews K. 4
28/2/2025
I am having legitimately one of the slumpiest reading years of my life, so obviously I'm turning to old favourites.

29/1/2023
I can't believe I went over a year without reading this wtf.

29/11/2021
Sir, that's my emotional comfort series.

10/7/2020
In my heart, this is a five star book because it's the start of everything. Also it's weirdly fascinating seeing how far Kate goes as a character in the course of the series. Here, she's a loner and a mercenary who hates everyone. Wild.

13/4/2019
How can you not love a character who greets the Beast Lord with "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty"??

22/7/2018
Kate is my favourite forever and ever. She's a sassy little shit with a sword. How can you not love her?? (Also, everything that Past Me said still stands)

11/7/2016
I love this series a hell of a lot. The world is a hell of a lot of fun, even if there ARE a lot of unanswered questions in this one. The characters are fun, and I love that Kate doesn't always have all the answers. Sometimes, you're a badass who knows exactly what's happening. And other times, you need to sit on your front porch and get drunk.

Yes, it's a little predictable at times. And yes, Curran comes across as a controlling asshat a lot of the time in this one. But it's just SO MUCH FUN and so much gorier and grittier than many urban fantasy series. And I just love the crap out of it.

29/8/2013
I was in kind of a strange position with this book in that I'd previously read a stand-alone based in the same universe with some of the same characters, so I knew about certain events that were going to happen to Kate at some point, but not whether they'd happen in this book or not. Despite the fact that I'd inadvertently provided myself with spoilers ahead of time, I really enjoyed this. Where the lack of world building in Gunmetal Magic hindered my enjoyment to begin with, this was the perfect mix of world building and action. The characters were great, the setting is pretty fabulous, and it was quite a bit gorier than I'd anticipated, which was interesting.

I'll definitely be working my way through the rest of the series over the coming months!]]> 4.06 2007
author: Ilona Andrews
name: K.
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2013, paranormal, urban-fantasy, library, 2016, setting-usa, audience-adult, 2018, 2019, own-it-hard-copy, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025, own-it-kindle
review:
Trigger warnings: violence, murder, death, gore, blood, implications of rape, implications of bestiality.

28/2/2025
I am having legitimately one of the slumpiest reading years of my life, so obviously I'm turning to old favourites.

29/1/2023
I can't believe I went over a year without reading this wtf.

29/11/2021
Sir, that's my emotional comfort series.

10/7/2020
In my heart, this is a five star book because it's the start of everything. Also it's weirdly fascinating seeing how far Kate goes as a character in the course of the series. Here, she's a loner and a mercenary who hates everyone. Wild.

13/4/2019
How can you not love a character who greets the Beast Lord with "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty"??

22/7/2018
Kate is my favourite forever and ever. She's a sassy little shit with a sword. How can you not love her?? (Also, everything that Past Me said still stands)

11/7/2016
I love this series a hell of a lot. The world is a hell of a lot of fun, even if there ARE a lot of unanswered questions in this one. The characters are fun, and I love that Kate doesn't always have all the answers. Sometimes, you're a badass who knows exactly what's happening. And other times, you need to sit on your front porch and get drunk.

Yes, it's a little predictable at times. And yes, Curran comes across as a controlling asshat a lot of the time in this one. But it's just SO MUCH FUN and so much gorier and grittier than many urban fantasy series. And I just love the crap out of it.

29/8/2013
I was in kind of a strange position with this book in that I'd previously read a stand-alone based in the same universe with some of the same characters, so I knew about certain events that were going to happen to Kate at some point, but not whether they'd happen in this book or not. Despite the fact that I'd inadvertently provided myself with spoilers ahead of time, I really enjoyed this. Where the lack of world building in Gunmetal Magic hindered my enjoyment to begin with, this was the perfect mix of world building and action. The characters were great, the setting is pretty fabulous, and it was quite a bit gorier than I'd anticipated, which was interesting.

I'll definitely be working my way through the rest of the series over the coming months!
]]> 50160853 A thrilling graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916!
Chet Roscow is finally feeling at home in Elm Hills, New Jersey. He has a job with his uncle Jerry at the local diner, three great friends, and the perfect summertime destination: cool, refreshing Matawan Creek.

But Chet's summer is interrupted by shocking news. A great white shark has been attacking swimmers along the Jersey shore, not far from Elm Hills. Everyone in town is talking about it. So when Chet sees something in the creek, he's sure it's his imagination...until he comes face-to-face with a bloodthirsty shark!

Lauren Tarshis's New York Times bestselling I Survived series takes on vivid new life in full-color graphic novel editions. Perfect for readers who prefer the graphic novel format, or for existing fans of the I Survived chapter book series, these graphic novels combine historical facts with high-action storytelling that's sure to keep any reader turning the pages.]]> 158 Georgia Ball 1338120948 K. 4
I've never read any of the I Survived books before, but I know the kids at work are feral for them. So when I saw there was a shark related one, I was obviously sold instantly.

I knew nothing about the shark attacks of 1916 and I'm definitely going to try and track down some more book about them to find out more after reading this! And I'm also going to try and track down some of the non-graphic novel versions of the I Survived books because this was extremely easy to read and did a great job of presenting history in an engaging way and I'm curious to see if the full length novels are the same way. ]]> 4.04 2020
author: Georgia Ball
name: K.
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: 2025, audience-middle-grade, graphic-novel, historical-fiction, library, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: animal attack, blood, parental abandonment

I've never read any of the I Survived books before, but I know the kids at work are feral for them. So when I saw there was a shark related one, I was obviously sold instantly.

I knew nothing about the shark attacks of 1916 and I'm definitely going to try and track down some more book about them to find out more after reading this! And I'm also going to try and track down some of the non-graphic novel versions of the I Survived books because this was extremely easy to read and did a great job of presenting history in an engaging way and I'm curious to see if the full length novels are the same way.
]]> 215039884 One sensational love story.

American journalist Ethan Fletcher traversed the globe to claim his late uncle’s Fleet Street print shop, only to find his unexpected inheritance is shackled by ruinous debt. To save his business and finally direct his own course, he needs to raise capital, and quickly. Good fortune comes in the form of Belinda Sinclair, the eccentric daughter of a respected London judge—and she just so happens to be a beautiful failure of a novelist.

Bruised by scandal, Belle has spent years writing a gruesome courtroom mystery no respectable publisher will touch. Until she meets Ethan—barely respectable, barely a publisher, but with two broad hands that can work a press and an enterprising spirit that breathes new life into her pages. Emboldened by the prospect of seeing her story in print, Belle agrees to Ethan’s plan: she will transform her grisly manuscript into a serialized penny dreadful, and he will sell it as a means to settle his accounts.

In the close confines of the print shop, Ethan and Belle discover their partnership is conducive to far more than fiction. Helpless to deny their deepening devotion, they dare to compose a future free of his financial burdens and her social constraints. But when a series of punishing obstacles jeopardizes the story they’ve been writing off the page, they must confront how much they are willing to lose�� and what it will take to save everything.]]> 364 Erin Langston K. 5
4.5 stars

I adored this. I didn't adore it QUITE as much as Forever Your Rogue, but I loved getting to see the next generation and how all the cousins interact and a very different social class situation at play. I genuinely couldn't tell you why this was a 4.5 star read and not a 5 star read, but here we are. It was an absolute delight and I loved getting to see the world of printing and publishing and the differences between the US and England.

I've made it sound very dry. I promise it's not. It's delightful and sweet and swoony from start to finish. ]]> 4.40 2024
author: Erin Langston
name: K.
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/12
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, historical-fiction, own-it-kindle, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: misogyny, sexism, toxic relationship (in the past), emotional abuse (in the past), classism

4.5 stars

I adored this. I didn't adore it QUITE as much as Forever Your Rogue, but I loved getting to see the next generation and how all the cousins interact and a very different social class situation at play. I genuinely couldn't tell you why this was a 4.5 star read and not a 5 star read, but here we are. It was an absolute delight and I loved getting to see the world of printing and publishing and the differences between the US and England.

I've made it sound very dry. I promise it's not. It's delightful and sweet and swoony from start to finish.
]]> 204898027
Luca Torres, struggling journalism graduate, never meant to take a vow of celibacy. It was just a dumb idea from a job interview gone wrong. He never thought they’d approve the article. Or make his future career conditional on delivering it.

Now, with no choice but to steer clear of temptation for the summer, he takes the most isolated job he can find: a fire lookout in the rural and picturesque mountains of Washington State.

However, his goal becomes much harder with the arrival of the husky and flirtatious Artair Osmond, a musician and wilderness enthusiast who takes up camp nearby. Now he must decide what he really desires: the career at the prestigious newspaper, or the big, bearded bear he can’t get out of his head.

Cubs & Campfires is a sweet and spicy romance about chunky men, cozy woods, and cuddles under starlight.]]> 254 Dylan Drakes 0645344192 K. 2
Look, I wanted to love this. I really did. I love that the author is all "I want to write books about men who look like me and who still get to fall in love and live happily ever after and no one ever wants them to change the way they look". It's fabulous.

But I...had issues with this. First of all, I feel like the whole idea of Luca writing a piece about being celibate for a summer would have been wildly uninteresting to read if it was like "I was asked to be celibate and that seemed hard so I ran away to the woods for three months to avoid all human contact". Just...have him take the job because he's got writer's block and he needs solitude to work through it but he also needs money? Like, yeah, the column is an excuse for him to not immediately fall into bed with Artair, but given that he pretty quickly gives up on the whole idea of the column and falls into bed with Artair anyway, it just...felt unnecessary.

All of that being said, I actually did like the romance between Luca and Artair. It was sweet and charming and the banter between them was great. What I *did* have a problem with the romance was two fold:
1. Why, for the love of God, is there never any lube? Like, I understand you didn't come into the woods expecting to have sex all the damn time. Fine. Surely you have cooking oil at the very least?!
2. If I had to read the words girth, veiny, beefy, bulge, or foreskin again, I was going to scream

And finally, there IS such a thing as using too much alliteration and too many adjectives:
"In one booty bounce, Artair was promptly beside him, beefy bicep to beefy bicep."
"Even from here, Luca could smell the man underneath, musty and reeking of full nuts."
"Normally, Artair liked to draw things out. But Luca's touch was so expert, so focused on his task that soon Artair was gasping and moaning and spraying a screaming torrent of virility ten feet across the mountain top."

Like...it's a lot. And for a book that's described as a cosy romance, there are truly excessive quantities of fluids. At one point, one of them ejaculates "gallons". And, like, yeah, sure, it's hyperbole. But GALLONS? PLURAL??? It's a penis, not a fire hydrant. Also, please for the love of God, don't describe a penis as "a brick" or "a slab" because both of those visual pictures are horrifying. ]]> 3.97 2024
author: Dylan Drakes
name: K.
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, australian, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, kindle-unlimited, lgbtqia-narrator, own-voices, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: implied homophobia. I think that's all?

Look, I wanted to love this. I really did. I love that the author is all "I want to write books about men who look like me and who still get to fall in love and live happily ever after and no one ever wants them to change the way they look". It's fabulous.

But I...had issues with this. First of all, I feel like the whole idea of Luca writing a piece about being celibate for a summer would have been wildly uninteresting to read if it was like "I was asked to be celibate and that seemed hard so I ran away to the woods for three months to avoid all human contact". Just...have him take the job because he's got writer's block and he needs solitude to work through it but he also needs money? Like, yeah, the column is an excuse for him to not immediately fall into bed with Artair, but given that he pretty quickly gives up on the whole idea of the column and falls into bed with Artair anyway, it just...felt unnecessary.

All of that being said, I actually did like the romance between Luca and Artair. It was sweet and charming and the banter between them was great. What I *did* have a problem with the romance was two fold:
1. Why, for the love of God, is there never any lube? Like, I understand you didn't come into the woods expecting to have sex all the damn time. Fine. Surely you have cooking oil at the very least?!
2. If I had to read the words girth, veiny, beefy, bulge, or foreskin again, I was going to scream

And finally, there IS such a thing as using too much alliteration and too many adjectives:
"In one booty bounce, Artair was promptly beside him, beefy bicep to beefy bicep."
"Even from here, Luca could smell the man underneath, musty and reeking of full nuts."
"Normally, Artair liked to draw things out. But Luca's touch was so expert, so focused on his task that soon Artair was gasping and moaning and spraying a screaming torrent of virility ten feet across the mountain top."

Like...it's a lot. And for a book that's described as a cosy romance, there are truly excessive quantities of fluids. At one point, one of them ejaculates "gallons". And, like, yeah, sure, it's hyperbole. But GALLONS? PLURAL??? It's a penis, not a fire hydrant. Also, please for the love of God, don't describe a penis as "a brick" or "a slab" because both of those visual pictures are horrifying.
]]> 211741158 FOLLOW HIM OR DIE.

When The Speaker posts, his followers must listen ... no matter the consequences.

Exposed as the masked social media influencer The Speaker by shy misfit Crystal, Aaron Fortin embarks on an insidious campaign to erase her - permanently.

Having already committed multiple brutal murders to try and feel some form of emotion, he charms and recruits Crystal's friends as his latest loyal followers. Aaron's influence is powerful and wide-reaching, and so begins his deadliest and most gruesome plan yet.

But has Aaron underestimated quiet Crystal? And can she stop him before it's too late?

A dark and twisted psychological horror for fans of You, from Bram Stoker Award-winning author Adam Cesare, adapted from the Audible Original.

NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER contains strong violence and themes some readers may find disturbing ]]> 346 Adam Cesare 1444979523 K. 3
3.5 stars

I wanted to love this because Clown in a Cornfield is one of the best YA horror books I've ever read, and I was hoping this would be a similar kind of vibe. And, like, yes? But also no. Given that we're essentially in the villain's head for half the book, I kind of struggled with this because Aaron is such a stone cold weirdo/psychopath with a boner for cult leaders and so being in his head as much as we were gave me the ick.

Add in the fact that I wanted Crystal to use her words far more than she did and this was ultimately fine but I suspect it will prove forgettable in a way that Clown in a Cornfield wasn't. ]]> 3.48 2024
author: Adam Cesare
name: K.
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, difficult-topics, horror, library, setting-usa, thriller
review:
Content warnings: murder, death, graphic violence, assault, animal death, bullying, gun violence, stabbing, blood, gore

3.5 stars

I wanted to love this because Clown in a Cornfield is one of the best YA horror books I've ever read, and I was hoping this would be a similar kind of vibe. And, like, yes? But also no. Given that we're essentially in the villain's head for half the book, I kind of struggled with this because Aaron is such a stone cold weirdo/psychopath with a boner for cult leaders and so being in his head as much as we were gave me the ick.

Add in the fact that I wanted Crystal to use her words far more than she did and this was ultimately fine but I suspect it will prove forgettable in a way that Clown in a Cornfield wasn't.
]]> 216422633 Holly Jackson meets Agatha Christie in this cosy modern-day YA murder mystery where your closest family are your prime suspects.

'Do you want to talk about a fictional murder in a book or do you want to talk about the actual murder that happened under our roof?'

Ruth is less-than-thrilled to be spending the weekend at the family farm visiting the ancient GG, her coolly distant step-grandmother. With no internet or phone coverage, she occupies herself by re-reading old Agatha Christie novels, eavesdropping on the adults and definitely not daydreaming about her sort-of-cousin Dylan.

But when GG dies under suspicious circumstances, Ruth's dull weekend turns into an enforced-family-holiday-slash-possible-murder-investigation �� and she's not about to let the police get in the way of her chance to solve a real-life murder mystery. With Dylan as the Watson to her Holmes, Ruth soon discovers that plenty of people had reasons to be rid of GG, and her list of suspects grows to comprise everyone in the house, including, in the interests of fairness, herself.

The thing about family holidays is that you've got to be prepared for fights.]]> 336 Kate Emery 1760529214 K. 4
This was a fun mystery story that's definitely on the younger end of YA. And I love that - my 12-14 year old students LOVE murder mysteries, but they're often not quite ready for Holly Jackson or Karen M. McManus. So this will be a good recommendation for them!

I don't know how I feel about the hints of romance in the story, and I definitely guessed a couple of the twists well before they happened. But on the whole? This was a lot of fun.]]> 3.77
author: Kate Emery
name: K.
average rating: 3.77
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, australian, crime, library, loveozya, setting-australia
review:
Content warnings: death of a family member, murder, hospitalisation, car accident

This was a fun mystery story that's definitely on the younger end of YA. And I love that - my 12-14 year old students LOVE murder mysteries, but they're often not quite ready for Holly Jackson or Karen M. McManus. So this will be a good recommendation for them!

I don't know how I feel about the hints of romance in the story, and I definitely guessed a couple of the twists well before they happened. But on the whole? This was a lot of fun.
]]> 43386064 A seductive thief

Lady’s maid Molly Wilkins is done with thieving—and cheating and stabbing and all the rest of it. She’s determined to keep her hands to herself, so she really shouldn’t be tempted to seduce her employer’s prim and proper companion, Alice. But how can she resist when Alice can’t seem to keep her eyes off Molly?

Finds her own heart

For the first time in her life, Alice Stapleton has absolutely nothing to do. The only thing that seems to occupy her thoughts is a lady’s maid with a sharp tongue and a beautiful mouth. Her determination to know Molly’s secrets has her behaving in ways she never imagined as she begins to fall for the impertinent woman.

Has been stolen

When an unwelcome specter from Alice’s past shows up unexpectedly at a house party, Molly volunteers to help the only way she knows how: with a little bit of mischief.]]> 144 Cat Sebastian 0062951033 K. 4
Look, does this really deserve 4 stars? Probably not. It's very short and could have done with at least another 30 pages to really develop the characters and their relationship. But it's Cat Sebastian and she has such a delightful writing style and creates such charming characters that I honestly didn't mind the fact that it's pretty heavy on the instalove front. ]]> 3.64 2019
author: Cat Sebastian
name: K.
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, difficult-topics, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, romance, scribd, setting-uk, short-stories-and-novellas
review:
Content warnings: sexual assault (in the past), poverty, discussion of alcoholism, child abuse and neglect (in the past)

Look, does this really deserve 4 stars? Probably not. It's very short and could have done with at least another 30 pages to really develop the characters and their relationship. But it's Cat Sebastian and she has such a delightful writing style and creates such charming characters that I honestly didn't mind the fact that it's pretty heavy on the instalove front.
]]> 53075214 Written in 1914 by the Nobel Prize-nominated author of Howard's End, this intimate portrait of homosexual desire "seems as relevant as ever" (The Guardian).

From early adolescence to his college years at Cambridge and into professional life at his father's firm, Maurice Hall plays the part of the conventional Englishman. All the while, he harbors a secret wish to lose himself from society and embrace who he truly is.

Maurice's first love, Clive Durham, introduces him to the ancient Greeks who embraced same-sex attraction. But when Clive marries a woman, Maurice is distraught enough to seek a hypnotist who might "cure" him of his homosexuality. In his quest to accept his true self, Maurice must ultimately go against the grain of society's unspoken rules of class, wealth, and politics.

Though Forster completed Maurice in 1914, he left instructions for it be published only after his death. Since its release in 1971, Maurice has been widely praised and adapted for major stage productions as well as the 1987 Oscar-nominated film adaptation starring Hugh Grant and James Wilby.

"The work of an exceptional artist working close to the peak of his powers." --The New York Times]]> 243 E.M. Forster 0795346638 K. 4
I think I probably need to reread this when I'm not recovering from covid because there was a lot of stuff here that kind of went over my head. And I was reading Dickens at the age of 10, so it's not that I'm unfamiliar with classics.

That being said, I liked the story and the whole idea that Forster wrote this in 1913-1914 and that it wasn't published for nearly 60 years is heartbreaking. ]]> 4.24 1971
author: E.M. Forster
name: K.
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1971
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, classics, diverse-author, lgbtqia-narrator, library, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: homophobia, classism, suicidal ideation

I think I probably need to reread this when I'm not recovering from covid because there was a lot of stuff here that kind of went over my head. And I was reading Dickens at the age of 10, so it's not that I'm unfamiliar with classics.

That being said, I liked the story and the whole idea that Forster wrote this in 1913-1914 and that it wasn't published for nearly 60 years is heartbreaking.
]]> 123289169 Vera was made for vengeance.

Lithuania, 1943. The Nazis have killed Ezra’s daughter. He can’t bring Chaya back from the dead, but he can craft something in her image—a golem, infused with pointed rage, to avenge Chaya’s death. A Nazi killer made with kishuf, an ancient and profane magic.

When Vera awakens, she can feel her violent purpose—her reason for existing—thrumming within her. But she can feel other things, too: glimpses of a human life lived, of stolen kisses amid the tragedy, and of a grisly death. And when she meets Akiva, she recognizes the boy with soft lips that gave warm kisses. But these memories aren’t hers, and Vera doesn’t know if she gets to have a life beyond what she was made for. If she deserves one.

Vera’s strength feels limitless—until she learns that there are others who would use kishuf for means far less noble than avenging a daughter’s death. As she confronts the very basest of humanity, Vera will need more than what her creator gave her: not just a reason to fight, but a reason to live.]]> 384 Aden Polydoros 0369736621 K. 4
Oh, this was a fantastic story. There was something so compelling about Vera as a character, stuck between the memories of Chaya's past and her own present. She's trying to find her places in a world full of dangers and horrors, desperate for a vengeance that isn't hers but her maker's.

The audiobook was fantastic, and I'm really glad I picked this up and gave it a go for my Read around the World challenge. I know very little about what the Second World War was like in Lithuania, and thanks to this I now know slightly more than I did before. ]]> 3.78 2023
author: Aden Polydoros
name: K.
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, difficult-topics, historical-fiction, jewish-narrator, paranormal, setting-europe, scribd, war
review:
Content warnings: war, death, gun violence, antisemitism, genocide, gore, body horror, death of a parent, death of a friend

Oh, this was a fantastic story. There was something so compelling about Vera as a character, stuck between the memories of Chaya's past and her own present. She's trying to find her places in a world full of dangers and horrors, desperate for a vengeance that isn't hers but her maker's.

The audiobook was fantastic, and I'm really glad I picked this up and gave it a go for my Read around the World challenge. I know very little about what the Second World War was like in Lithuania, and thanks to this I now know slightly more than I did before.
]]> 39323396 Otto:

Seth Walker was my first love and I always swore he’d be my last. Even after he moved away our senior year in high school, we vowed to reunite after graduation. But when he suddenly broke things off without explanation and crushed my heart, it was my turn to run.

After a decade in the navy, I’ve finally come home ready to move on with my life as Hobie’s newest firefighter. Unfortunately, the minute I set eyes on the new sheriff in town, I know I’m screwed. Hobie’s top cop is none other than Seth Walker.

Turns out, he’s come home too. And hell if he doesn’t have a lot of explaining to do.

Walker:

I thought I was doing the right thing when I walked away from Otto Wilde ten years ago without an explanation. I was wrong. I also thought I could come back home without having to face my past mistakes. I was wrong about that too.

What I’m not wrong about: The fact that my heart catches fire every time I set eyes on the sexy man. The fact that I can’t imagine my life without him. The fact that things are still just as complicated now as they were then. And the fact that I have a lot of work ahead of me if I expect to win him back.

Just when things start heating up between us again, a serial arsonist strikes and suspicion falls close to home. I already lost Otto to a secret long ago but I’ll be damned if I let another threaten to send our future up in smoke.

Because Otto Wilde is mine, and I don't plan on ever letting him go again.


Each novel in the Forever Wilde series can be read on its own or as part of the series. Fair warning, there will be nekkid man parts touching, meddling patriarchs, sweet second-chance love themes, and a dearly departed donkey named Debbie Gibson.]]> 314 Lucy Lennox K. 3
3.25 stars

I wanted to love this, I really did. But I think my big problem with it was the fact that so much of the relationship between the two protagonists happens off the page. They're childhood best friends turned teenage lovers. They haven't seen or heard from each other in over a decade, and yet the second they see each other again, they're back in each other's arms? And, like, don't get me wrong, I know full well that some relationships transcend time and distance. I grew up overseas and yet whenever we came home (or visited our former overseas homes after years away), most of my friendships fell into place the way they always had. But these two guys have gone through SO MUCH in that decade, and I feel like they needed to have some actual meaningful conversations before immediately falling back into bed together.

Anyway, as a result, the actual plot - who's setting fires in town? - often fell by the wayside. Also, because I haven't read any of the other books in the series, I was thrown into a seemingly endless parade of siblings and parents and their partners and children, and it was kind of overwhelming. Add in some clunky writing and this was fine but I don't anticipate that I will read the other books in the series tbh. ]]> 4.20 2018
author: Lucy Lennox
name: K.
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, contemporary, kindle-unlimited, lgbtqia-narrator, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: fire, homophobia, death of a sibling (in the past), forced marriage (kind of??), panic attacks

3.25 stars

I wanted to love this, I really did. But I think my big problem with it was the fact that so much of the relationship between the two protagonists happens off the page. They're childhood best friends turned teenage lovers. They haven't seen or heard from each other in over a decade, and yet the second they see each other again, they're back in each other's arms? And, like, don't get me wrong, I know full well that some relationships transcend time and distance. I grew up overseas and yet whenever we came home (or visited our former overseas homes after years away), most of my friendships fell into place the way they always had. But these two guys have gone through SO MUCH in that decade, and I feel like they needed to have some actual meaningful conversations before immediately falling back into bed together.

Anyway, as a result, the actual plot - who's setting fires in town? - often fell by the wayside. Also, because I haven't read any of the other books in the series, I was thrown into a seemingly endless parade of siblings and parents and their partners and children, and it was kind of overwhelming. Add in some clunky writing and this was fine but I don't anticipate that I will read the other books in the series tbh.
]]> 216848487
It’s a tale from the past, with a message for today. A stunningly poignant, devastating, and ultimately beautiful tour-de-force - Simon James Green

At just nineteen, Stephen has already survived a year at the front. Now he is returning to the trenches to lead a platoon, despite his wounds. Broken-hearted from the loss of his first love, Stephen wonders what he's fighting for. Then he meets Private Danny McCormick, a smart, talented young recruit. From their first meeting, there's something undeniable between them �� something forbidden by both society and the army. Determined to protect Danny, Stephen must face down the prejudices and ignorance of his superiors as well as the onslaught of German shells and sniper fire.
As the summer of 1916 ticks down to one big push on the Somme, can Stephen and Danny stay together �� and will their love save them �� or condemn them?]]> 282 William Hussey K. 5
4.5 stars

Oh, my heart. I didn't expect to cry multiple times reading it and yet here we are. Weirdly, I think I cried more over the acknowledgements than anything, but I'm getting ahead of myself there.

So In Memoriam was my favourite book of 2024. I cannot stop thinking about how beautifully that story was crafted and how well it depicted the time period and the experiences of young men leaving British private schools for the trenches of World War I. This is, in many ways, a young adult equivalent of In Memoriam. Except Stephen, the protagonist, is nineteen and grieving a loss he can't discuss, so despite having been injured and sent home to England, he gets himself deployed to the Front again. And then, on the train heading back to France, he meets Danny.

The relationship between the two is lovely. The depiction of the tension and stress and boredom experienced by the young officers in the lead up to the Great Push is spectacularly well done, and the story doesn't shy away from the horrors of life in the trenches (or the horrors some officers inflicted on their men).

I didn't anticipate the story playing out the way that it did, but ultimately it worked.

Now, as for those pesky acknowledgements: "My aim with this book was to shine a small light on the untold stories of gay men during this most devastating of conflicts. Their voices have been largely lost in the bellow and fury of the Great War. ... The memory of these men is all the more poignant for the fact that they lived and died defending a country that, for the most part, despised them. ... My purpose with The Boy I Love was for it to stand as a testament to those men. Soldiers, sons, comrades, friends, lovers, human beings who lived and loved as fearlessly as they could. If we wish, we can find them, their passions undimmed by the passing century."

I wept over the ending. I bawled over the acknowledgements. ]]> 4.22 2025
author: William Hussey
name: K.
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, difficult-topics, diverse-author, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, oh-god-my-feels, own-voices, own-it-kindle, romance, setting-europe, war
review:
Content warnings: war, death, violence, death of a friend, blood, physical injury, homophobia, shitty parenting, gun violence, explosions, [spoilers removed]

4.5 stars

Oh, my heart. I didn't expect to cry multiple times reading it and yet here we are. Weirdly, I think I cried more over the acknowledgements than anything, but I'm getting ahead of myself there.

So In Memoriam was my favourite book of 2024. I cannot stop thinking about how beautifully that story was crafted and how well it depicted the time period and the experiences of young men leaving British private schools for the trenches of World War I. This is, in many ways, a young adult equivalent of In Memoriam. Except Stephen, the protagonist, is nineteen and grieving a loss he can't discuss, so despite having been injured and sent home to England, he gets himself deployed to the Front again. And then, on the train heading back to France, he meets Danny.

The relationship between the two is lovely. The depiction of the tension and stress and boredom experienced by the young officers in the lead up to the Great Push is spectacularly well done, and the story doesn't shy away from the horrors of life in the trenches (or the horrors some officers inflicted on their men).

I didn't anticipate the story playing out the way that it did, but ultimately it worked.

Now, as for those pesky acknowledgements: "My aim with this book was to shine a small light on the untold stories of gay men during this most devastating of conflicts. Their voices have been largely lost in the bellow and fury of the Great War. ... The memory of these men is all the more poignant for the fact that they lived and died defending a country that, for the most part, despised them. ... My purpose with The Boy I Love was for it to stand as a testament to those men. Soldiers, sons, comrades, friends, lovers, human beings who lived and loved as fearlessly as they could. If we wish, we can find them, their passions undimmed by the passing century."

I wept over the ending. I bawled over the acknowledgements.
]]> 195886401 An American teen learns she may have accidentally married the King of England, only to end up stranded on a tropical island with him in this highly-anticipated sequel to The Prince & The Apocalypse.

Freshman year is stressful enough without accidentally being married to the King of England. Of course, Wren Wheeler can’t tell her Northwestern classmates about that; after surviving a narrowly-averted apocalypse over the summer, everyone’s had enough excitement for one lifetime. Wren knows she needs to move on from Theo, but she can’t forget the look in his eyes when he left her on that island in Greece—and also, he took her dog.

When an ill-fated attempt to rescue Comet the Apocalypse Dog turns into a chemistry-fueled reunion with Theo that’s caught by the paparazzi, Wren finds herself under the royal spotlight. Suddenly, she’s a problem for “the firm�� to solve, and in order to be protected from the rabid press, she’ll have to fly back to London with Theo. Along for the ride are Naomi and Brooke, as well as Theo's siblings, including Henry, the brother he's spent his life being compared to. But because the universe can’t let these two maybe-newlyweds have one conversation in peace, their plane goes down over the Atlantic, crashing on a tropical island in the middle of nowhere.

Stranded with no sign of rescue, the group will have to band together against poisonous animals, catastrophic injuries, a brotherly rivalry, and an ill-timed volcano if they’re going to make it out alive. And, scariest of all, Wren and Theo will have to face their feelings for one another and decide what they want their futures to look like—and if that future will be heartbreak, or happily ever after.]]> 336 Kara McDowell 1250873096 K. 4
3.5 stars

Look, I loved the first book in this duology. It was silly and it was fun and the romance was cute. This one picks up several months later and things are more complicated now. So why not crash the central couple and their siblings on a deserted island off the coast of Probably Portugal and let them fend for themselves?!

Personally, the stranded-on-an-island-with-impending-medical-crises part of the story dragged on FOREVER. Maybe it's because I was in a weird reading place when I picked this up, but it really did just keep going and going and going. As a result, all the stuff that happens AFTER their inevitable rescue felt rushed.

And the way the ending plays out makes it extremely obvious that this book was written by someone from the US because lol wtf are you serious?! ]]> 4.20 2024
author: Kara McDowell
name: K.
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, contemporary, library, romance, setting-europe, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: plane crash, physical injury, descriptions of wounds, medical content, vomit, impending natural disaster

3.5 stars

Look, I loved the first book in this duology. It was silly and it was fun and the romance was cute. This one picks up several months later and things are more complicated now. So why not crash the central couple and their siblings on a deserted island off the coast of Probably Portugal and let them fend for themselves?!

Personally, the stranded-on-an-island-with-impending-medical-crises part of the story dragged on FOREVER. Maybe it's because I was in a weird reading place when I picked this up, but it really did just keep going and going and going. As a result, all the stuff that happens AFTER their inevitable rescue felt rushed.

And the way the ending plays out makes it extremely obvious that this book was written by someone from the US because lol wtf are you serious?!
]]> 212376261 From the author of Boyfriend Material comes the absurdist adventure of two friends determined to avoid marriage to unsuitable people as they race through Regency England to marry each other instead.

Sir Horley Comewithers isn’t particularly interested in getting married, especially when his match is a perfectly respectable young woman. Sir Horley is, after all, extravagantly gay. But he’s resigned to a fate there’s no point resisting—until a dear friend does it for him.

Arabella Tarleton has no interest in romance, but even she can see that Sir Horley’s nuptials are destined to end in a lifetime of misery. Well, not on her watch. And what are friends for, if not abducting you on your wedding night in an overdramatic attempt to save you from a terrible mistake?

Their journey to Gretna Green is a hodgepodge of colorful run-ins and near misses with questionable innkeepers, amateur highwaymen, overattentive writers, and scorned fiancées. Then again a bumpy road is better than an unhappy destination.

But when it comes to marriage, Belle and Sir Horley are about to discover that it’s not what you do or how you do it but the people who you choose to do it with that matter most.]]> 427 Alexis Hall 166250943X K. 5
4.5 stars

I was really intrigued to read this instalment of this utterly charming Regency romance series because it features a pansexual aromantic heroine and a gay hero. And in this one, they elope. So yes, it's a historical romance. But the romance in question doesn't take place between the two protagonists. It's a marriage of convenience, yes. But at the end of the day, it's the queer platonic relationship that develops as a result of their marriage that will be what sticks with me from this book. Yes, they both have romantic entanglements with other people, but the most important relationship they have is with each other.

They build a life and a world together by choice. They love and care about each other, just not romantically. And their relationship is the centre of both their worlds. I fucking LOVE that. I loved this so much.

That being said, the roadtrip aspect of things did drag on a TINY bit more than I wanted it to. So. ]]> 4.12 2024
author: Alexis Hall
name: K.
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, diverse-author, historical-fiction, kindle-unlimited, lgbtqia-narrator, own-voices, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: violence, gun violence, blood, homophobia, assault, toxic family members, child abuse (in the past), adult/minor relationship (in the past)

4.5 stars

I was really intrigued to read this instalment of this utterly charming Regency romance series because it features a pansexual aromantic heroine and a gay hero. And in this one, they elope. So yes, it's a historical romance. But the romance in question doesn't take place between the two protagonists. It's a marriage of convenience, yes. But at the end of the day, it's the queer platonic relationship that develops as a result of their marriage that will be what sticks with me from this book. Yes, they both have romantic entanglements with other people, but the most important relationship they have is with each other.

They build a life and a world together by choice. They love and care about each other, just not romantically. And their relationship is the centre of both their worlds. I fucking LOVE that. I loved this so much.

That being said, the roadtrip aspect of things did drag on a TINY bit more than I wanted it to. So.
]]> 6341533
The Big Match draws in an urchin with a gift for kicking a tin can, a maker of jolly good pies, a dim but beautiful young woman, who might turn out to be the greatest fashion model ever, and the mysterious Mr Nutt. (No one knows much about Mr Nutt, not even Mr Nutt).

As the match approaches, four lives are changed forever. Because the thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football.

Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!]]> 400 Terry Pratchett 0385609345 K. 3
7/2/2025
Look, I love the Discworld with all my heart, I really do. But there are a handful of books where Pratchett throws us a whole host of characters and a premise that is ultimately meaningless in the world of the Disc. There's no future with these characters. There's no future with football in the Disc. And as much as I came to love Nutt and Glenda by the end of the book, I was solidly on the struggle bus with this one. It kind of felt ultimately like Pratchett wanted to do more of a focus on Ankh-Morpork's working class and their struggles, and yet somehow this focuses more on the indulgences of Unseen University.

So yeah, I stand by everything I said nearly a decade ago - this is a rare miss and while I still love Pratchett's writing and character creation, I give zero fucks about football.

24/5/2016
I find this book a somewhat perplexing addition to the Discworld series. Technically, I think it's classed as a Rincewind book?? And yet Rincewind shows up for approximately two pages.

It's a book about football, in which the game goes from being played in a totally disorganised, stab-your-opponents-if-they-get-in-the-way fashion with a heavy wooden ball to a game with rules and specific positions and a lightweight inflatable ball. Which is fine, except that Jingo, some sixteen books earlier in the series, features Carrot carrying around a flattened football during war, and using it - and the rules of football - to actually end the war between Klatch and Ankh-Morpork.

When I first realised that (and yes, I know I'm being super nitpicky), I thought that maybe this book was supposed to be set somewhere prior to the events of Jingo. But no - Vimes turns up to discuss the Koom Valley peace treaty, so clearly this takes place after the events of Thud!.

So essentially, it feels like Pratchett undid canon just to write a book about sport.

Nitpicking aside, this one dragged for me. Partly it's because it's a book about sport, and I just didn't care. But partly it's because we have a whole new cast of characters. Yes, we still have Ridcully and the rest of the wizards. But with the Dean and the Bursar having left for the new university in Quirm, the dynamic has changed.

Instead, we're given a story that's largely from the perspective of the Unseen University's servants. Don't get me wrong - Glenda is a fabulous character, and Mister Nutt is delightful. There's a lot in here about racial stereotypes and trying to overcome them, and how if you look a certain way, you're constantly struggling to make a good impression, to prove yourself worthy, to make those in a position of privilege accept you as an actual living thing and not a monster waiting to strike.

And all of that is excellent. I even liked the Romeo and Juliet elements of two young people from arch-rival football teams falling in love. So there's definitely good stuff in there.

But this plods along so slowly that I never felt like I was making any progress in the story. And, for something that features The Librarian front and centre on the cover? Yeah, he's on about a dozen of its 400 pages.

In summary? Womp.]]> 3.94 2009
author: Terry Pratchett
name: K.
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: fantasy, own-it-hard-copy, humour, setting-fantasy, 2016, audience-adult, 2025
review:
Content warnings: violence, blood, xenophobia, death of a parent (in the past)

7/2/2025
Look, I love the Discworld with all my heart, I really do. But there are a handful of books where Pratchett throws us a whole host of characters and a premise that is ultimately meaningless in the world of the Disc. There's no future with these characters. There's no future with football in the Disc. And as much as I came to love Nutt and Glenda by the end of the book, I was solidly on the struggle bus with this one. It kind of felt ultimately like Pratchett wanted to do more of a focus on Ankh-Morpork's working class and their struggles, and yet somehow this focuses more on the indulgences of Unseen University.

So yeah, I stand by everything I said nearly a decade ago - this is a rare miss and while I still love Pratchett's writing and character creation, I give zero fucks about football.

24/5/2016
I find this book a somewhat perplexing addition to the Discworld series. Technically, I think it's classed as a Rincewind book?? And yet Rincewind shows up for approximately two pages.

It's a book about football, in which the game goes from being played in a totally disorganised, stab-your-opponents-if-they-get-in-the-way fashion with a heavy wooden ball to a game with rules and specific positions and a lightweight inflatable ball. Which is fine, except that Jingo, some sixteen books earlier in the series, features Carrot carrying around a flattened football during war, and using it - and the rules of football - to actually end the war between Klatch and Ankh-Morpork.

When I first realised that (and yes, I know I'm being super nitpicky), I thought that maybe this book was supposed to be set somewhere prior to the events of Jingo. But no - Vimes turns up to discuss the Koom Valley peace treaty, so clearly this takes place after the events of Thud!.

So essentially, it feels like Pratchett undid canon just to write a book about sport.

Nitpicking aside, this one dragged for me. Partly it's because it's a book about sport, and I just didn't care. But partly it's because we have a whole new cast of characters. Yes, we still have Ridcully and the rest of the wizards. But with the Dean and the Bursar having left for the new university in Quirm, the dynamic has changed.

Instead, we're given a story that's largely from the perspective of the Unseen University's servants. Don't get me wrong - Glenda is a fabulous character, and Mister Nutt is delightful. There's a lot in here about racial stereotypes and trying to overcome them, and how if you look a certain way, you're constantly struggling to make a good impression, to prove yourself worthy, to make those in a position of privilege accept you as an actual living thing and not a monster waiting to strike.

And all of that is excellent. I even liked the Romeo and Juliet elements of two young people from arch-rival football teams falling in love. So there's definitely good stuff in there.

But this plods along so slowly that I never felt like I was making any progress in the story. And, for something that features The Librarian front and centre on the cover? Yeah, he's on about a dozen of its 400 pages.

In summary? Womp.
]]> 210495899
Zeke Cassidy needs a place to live. When he answers an advertisement for a roommate, he’s not sure what he is expecting except that it isn’t Carter Morgan III. Carter is unfriendly, aloof, and they have nothing in common; even so, the pair hit it off immediately and become friends.

Carter knows Zeke isn’t interested in being anything beyond friends and roommates. Unfortunately, knowing this doesn’t stop him from hoping for more, no matter how much he tries to convince himself it’s impossible.]]> 320 J.J. Mulder 1967245150 K. 4
3.5 stars

I saw this on a list of books from 2024 with protagonists on the ace spectrum, so obviously I had to read it. And for the most part, it was a cute roommates-to-friends-to-lovers romance. But I think I have officially reached the point where I'm too old for college romances because these two got very "I want to spend the rest of my life with him" and I was like "BABE, YOU CANNOT LEGALLY DRINK, PLS CALM DOWN".

I also thought that there was going to be more hockey in this than there was. We hardly get to see any of Carter actually on the ice, and 90% of what we get is from Zeke's perspective when he attends games. But all of that being said, I did like the dynamic between them and the discussions of demisexuality that take place. ]]> 3.87
author: J.J. Mulder
name: K.
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: 2025, audience-new-adult, contemporary, kindle-unlimited, lgbtqia-narrator, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: classism, emotional abuse, shitty parenting, death of a parent (in the past)

3.5 stars

I saw this on a list of books from 2024 with protagonists on the ace spectrum, so obviously I had to read it. And for the most part, it was a cute roommates-to-friends-to-lovers romance. But I think I have officially reached the point where I'm too old for college romances because these two got very "I want to spend the rest of my life with him" and I was like "BABE, YOU CANNOT LEGALLY DRINK, PLS CALM DOWN".

I also thought that there was going to be more hockey in this than there was. We hardly get to see any of Carter actually on the ice, and 90% of what we get is from Zeke's perspective when he attends games. But all of that being said, I did like the dynamic between them and the discussions of demisexuality that take place.
]]> 63911876
Gaia's younger sister Esme is supposed to be flying back to England with her family after the party, but she can't leave with Gaia missing—especially because nobody remembers Gaia leaving the party. Or if they do, they're not saying. Everyone at the lodge has their own secrets: the little rich girl, the ex-boyfriend, the ski instructor, the failed reality star.

Esme's out of her depth searching the dark, dangerous forests and icy slopes of Moon Mountain, until she teams up with a local boy who promises to help her. The clock is ticking, and it's down to Esme to piece the clues together and work out who—if anybody—is telling the truth.]]> 336 Kirsty McKay 1728268451 K. 2
2.5 stars

Look, I wanted to like this book. I did. But at the end of the day, it was...generic. I liked that the protagonist has dyspraxia, but it felt like it only cropped up when it was a convenient plot device and had zero impact on Esme the rest of the time.

I also kind of hated the character names here - Esme, Gaia and Bose - to the point where I found them distracting. Add in a somewhat plodding mystery and the fact that I didn't feel like I knew enough about Gaia to care that she was missing AND the age gap between Gaia and both the man she was dating and the guy she was supposedly best friends with (she's 19, they're both in their 30s) and I had the ick. ]]> 3.38 2023
author: Kirsty McKay
name: K.
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, crime, library, neurodiversity, setting-usa, thriller
review:
Content warnings: disappearance of a sibling, hospitalisation, kidnapping, voyeurism

2.5 stars

Look, I wanted to like this book. I did. But at the end of the day, it was...generic. I liked that the protagonist has dyspraxia, but it felt like it only cropped up when it was a convenient plot device and had zero impact on Esme the rest of the time.

I also kind of hated the character names here - Esme, Gaia and Bose - to the point where I found them distracting. Add in a somewhat plodding mystery and the fact that I didn't feel like I knew enough about Gaia to care that she was missing AND the age gap between Gaia and both the man she was dating and the guy she was supposedly best friends with (she's 19, they're both in their 30s) and I had the ick.
]]> 25090918 Knowledge is power. Power corrupts.

In a world where the ancient Great Library of Alexandria was never destroyed, knowledge now rules the world: freely available, but strictly controlled. Owning private books is a crime.

Jess Brightwell is the son of a black market book smuggler, sent to the Library to compete for a position as a scholar . . . but even as he forms friendships and finds his true gifts, he begins to unearth the dark secrets of the greatest, most revered institution in the world.

Those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn. . . .
]]> 410 Rachel Caine 0749017228 K. 5
31/1/2025
Reading this book in 2025 is a whole new experience. Unsure if we'd be better or worse off in this world, tbh.

3/4/2021
Forever and always one of my favourites.

9/10/2019
Reread in preparation for the final book in the series. I still love this book an unnatural amount. It's so fucking good and it makes me sad that so few people seem to read this series.

27/7/2018
Book 4 just came out so obviously it was time for a reread. I love the characters in this series, I love the setting, I love the world building, I love how it feels like a mixture of half a dozen different genres, I love the writing. It's all phenomenal and I adore it.

17/7/2017
Everything I said in the past still stands. Although I will say that this time, I'm torn between being super excited and super pissed off that the series has gone from 3 books to 5 books...

26/7/2016
I reread this in preparation for reading the newly released sequel, and it was just as amazing the second time around. I love this world so much. I love these character so much. I love the tension and the doesn't-really-fit-any-genre feel of the story and the writing. In short, it's brilliant.

6/10/2015
This book totally blew my mind. I was sold on it forever ago when I read the blurb and it was all "What if the Library of Alexandria hadn't been destroyed?" because HELLO, librarian. And to then funnel that into "What if the Library of Alexandria hadn't been destroyed and instead became some kind of evil dystopian government, dictating what people could and couldn't read?"? GENIUS.

Seriously, I loved everything about this. It's futuristic but also kind of steampunk-y. I adored the world building and the magical elements. I loved how diverse the characters were, how students came from all over the world to train as librarians. I loved the dystopian elements and the "this is what happens if you rebel against the library" hints without it feeling info-dumpy. I loved the writing and the pacing and basically? This book was really stinking great.

Although I do wish it had a more exciting cover...]]> 3.95 2015
author: Rachel Caine
name: K.
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: 2015, 5-star, dystopian, fantasy, library, audience-young-adult, own-it-hard-copy, alternate-history, 2016, setting-africa, setting-uk, 2017, favourites, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2025
review:
Trigger warnings: violence, mentions of past torture, imprisonment, death of a sibling (in the past), death of a friend, suicide, explosions, fire.

31/1/2025
Reading this book in 2025 is a whole new experience. Unsure if we'd be better or worse off in this world, tbh.

3/4/2021
Forever and always one of my favourites.

9/10/2019
Reread in preparation for the final book in the series. I still love this book an unnatural amount. It's so fucking good and it makes me sad that so few people seem to read this series.

27/7/2018
Book 4 just came out so obviously it was time for a reread. I love the characters in this series, I love the setting, I love the world building, I love how it feels like a mixture of half a dozen different genres, I love the writing. It's all phenomenal and I adore it.

17/7/2017
Everything I said in the past still stands. Although I will say that this time, I'm torn between being super excited and super pissed off that the series has gone from 3 books to 5 books...

26/7/2016
I reread this in preparation for reading the newly released sequel, and it was just as amazing the second time around. I love this world so much. I love these character so much. I love the tension and the doesn't-really-fit-any-genre feel of the story and the writing. In short, it's brilliant.

6/10/2015
This book totally blew my mind. I was sold on it forever ago when I read the blurb and it was all "What if the Library of Alexandria hadn't been destroyed?" because HELLO, librarian. And to then funnel that into "What if the Library of Alexandria hadn't been destroyed and instead became some kind of evil dystopian government, dictating what people could and couldn't read?"? GENIUS.

Seriously, I loved everything about this. It's futuristic but also kind of steampunk-y. I adored the world building and the magical elements. I loved how diverse the characters were, how students came from all over the world to train as librarians. I loved the dystopian elements and the "this is what happens if you rebel against the library" hints without it feeling info-dumpy. I loved the writing and the pacing and basically? This book was really stinking great.

Although I do wish it had a more exciting cover...
]]> 9251500 Meet Harry Dresden, Chicago's first (and only) Wizard P.I. Turns out that 'everyday' world is full of strange and magical things - and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in.

Harry is the best at what he does - and not just because he's the only one who does it. So whenever the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal capabilities, they look to him for answers. But business isn't just slow, it stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get . . . interesting.

MAGIC - IT CAN GET A GUY KILLED.]]> 318 Jim Butcher 0356500276 K. 4
This took...a while...to get going for me. It probably doesn't help that I started reading it while taking a wide reading class and therefore I was interrupted every page or so to give pointed looks to students who were talking rather than reading. But once I got through that initial set up stuff, I sped through this and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It features a fun world, fabulous characters, and a sassy skull. What more can you ask for in urban fantasy?! ]]> 3.68 2000
author: Jim Butcher
name: K.
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2016/05/28
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: 2016, library, paranormal, urban-fantasy, setting-usa, audience-adult
review:
I've read odd books in this series before, but never from the beginning because my local library didn't have the first book for some ridiculous reason. Conveniently, the library I work at DOES have the first book, so I was finally able to start from the beginning and get a better sense of how this world and the characters in it started out.

This took...a while...to get going for me. It probably doesn't help that I started reading it while taking a wide reading class and therefore I was interrupted every page or so to give pointed looks to students who were talking rather than reading. But once I got through that initial set up stuff, I sped through this and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It features a fun world, fabulous characters, and a sassy skull. What more can you ask for in urban fantasy?!
]]> 9743803 413 Jenny Downham 1849920486 K. 2
Alright, let's do this: my first salty review of the year.

This is VERY much 2010 UK YA. It's everything I would expect from that market at that time. However, it has aged EXTREMELY poorly.

Essentially, Ellie's brother is accused of raping Mikey's sister. Said brother is 18-19. Said sister is 15 and therefore under the age of consent. Ellie was the only witness to the crime but lied and told the police she didn't see anything because, like, family solidarity + the victim was known for being kind of slutty so what did she even expect. And then Ellie and Mikey meet. And obviously they develop feelings for one another and everything is extremely complicated blah blah blah.

Look. I didn't particularly like either of the characters. I didn't like that it takes Ellie like three-quarters of the book to think that maybe her brother should be punished for his actions. I didn't like that there's a socio-economic disparity between victim and perpetrator to the point where Ellie's dad is essentially just throwing money at the problem to stop it from ruining his son's life and Mikey's more or less supporting his alcoholic mother and his two sisters in a council flat on the wages from his part time job.

All in all, this book came before the idea of believing victims, before the MeToo movement, before Chanel Miller. And it shows. ]]> 3.78 2010
author: Jenny Downham
name: K.
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, contemporary, difficult-topics, library, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: rape (in the past), slut shaming, victim blaming, alcohol abuse, drug use, bullying

Alright, let's do this: my first salty review of the year.

This is VERY much 2010 UK YA. It's everything I would expect from that market at that time. However, it has aged EXTREMELY poorly.

Essentially, Ellie's brother is accused of raping Mikey's sister. Said brother is 18-19. Said sister is 15 and therefore under the age of consent. Ellie was the only witness to the crime but lied and told the police she didn't see anything because, like, family solidarity + the victim was known for being kind of slutty so what did she even expect. And then Ellie and Mikey meet. And obviously they develop feelings for one another and everything is extremely complicated blah blah blah.

Look. I didn't particularly like either of the characters. I didn't like that it takes Ellie like three-quarters of the book to think that maybe her brother should be punished for his actions. I didn't like that there's a socio-economic disparity between victim and perpetrator to the point where Ellie's dad is essentially just throwing money at the problem to stop it from ruining his son's life and Mikey's more or less supporting his alcoholic mother and his two sisters in a council flat on the wages from his part time job.

All in all, this book came before the idea of believing victims, before the MeToo movement, before Chanel Miller. And it shows.
]]> 59251755 Sex and the City meets Bad Blood and Catch Me If You Can in the astonishing true story of Anna Delvey, a young con artist posing as an heiress in New York City—as told by the former Vanity Fair photo editor and friend of Delvey’s, who was scammed out of more than $62,000 and is featured as a character in the Netflix series Inventing Anna.

Rachel DeLoache Williams’s new friend Anna Delvey, a self-proclaimed German heiress, was worldly and ambitious. She was also generous—picking up the tab for lavish dinners at Le Coucou, infrared sauna sessions at HigherDOSE, drinks at the 11 Howard Library bar, and regular workout sessions with a celebrity personal trainer.

When Anna proposed an all-expenses-paid trip to Marrakech at the five-star La Mamounia hotel, Rachel jumped at the chance. But when Anna’s credit cards mysteriously stopped working, the dream vacation quickly took a dark turn. Anna asked Rachel to begin fronting costs—first for flights, then meals and shopping, and, finally, for their $7,500-per-night private villa. Before Rachel knew it, more than $62,000 had been charged to her credit cards. Anna swore she would reimburse Rachel the moment they returned to New York.

Back in Manhattan, the repayment never materialized, and a shocking pattern of deception emerged. Rachel learned that Anna had left a trail of deceit—and unpaid bills—wherever she’d been. Mortified, Rachel contacted the district attorney, and in a stunning turn of events, found herself helping to bring down one of the city’s most notorious con artists.

With breathless pacing and in-depth reporting from the person who experienced it firsthand, My Friend Anna is an unforgettable true story of “glamour, greed, lust for power�� (The New York Times), and female friendship.]]> 290 Rachel DeLoache Williams 198211410X K. 4
3.5 stars

I knew very little about this case going into this book. Somehow I missed all the documentaries and adaptations and newspaper/magazine articles and whatnot over the years, probably because socialites don't really interest me?? Anyway, I had to read this for work and it was definitely a compelling story.

Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of times where I was like "..............girl, WHAT" about some of the choices that Rachel makes. But for the most part, this was a compelling story about a truly wild situation.]]> 3.63 2019
author: Rachel DeLoache Williams
name: K.
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, biographies-and-memoirs, difficult-topics, library, non-fiction, setting-usa, true-crime
review:
Content warnings: theft, gaslighting, manipulation, mental health, toxic friendship, alcohol abuse, panic attacks, suicidal ideation

3.5 stars

I knew very little about this case going into this book. Somehow I missed all the documentaries and adaptations and newspaper/magazine articles and whatnot over the years, probably because socialites don't really interest me?? Anyway, I had to read this for work and it was definitely a compelling story.

Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of times where I was like "..............girl, WHAT" about some of the choices that Rachel makes. But for the most part, this was a compelling story about a truly wild situation.
]]> 55259738 The epic first novel in a sweeping series following the romantic lives and intrigues of the fictionalized descendants of a Chinese empress—now in paperback!
��
Behind every great family lies a great secret.

There’s one rule in Gemma Huang’s family: Never, under any circumstances, set foot in Beijing. But when Gemma, an aspiring actress, lands her first break—a lead role in an update of M. Butterfly, which just so happens to be filming in the Chinese capital—Gemma heads to LAX without looking back. It’s an amazing opportunity for her burgeoning career, and she’ll get to work with her idol. Of course, there’s also the chance of discovering just exactly why she’s been forbidden from entering the city in the first place. When Gemma arrives in Beijing, she’s instantly mobbed by paparazzi at the airport. She quickly realizes she may as well be the twin of Alyssa Chua, one of the most notorious young socialites in Beijing. Thus kicks off a season of revelations and romance in which Gemma uncovers a legacy her parents have spent their lives protecting her from—one her mother would conceal at any cost.]]> 320 Diana Ma 1419749978 K. 4
3.5 stars

Did I believe for a second that this 18 year old girl who's previously only booked a commercial and who has no formal training whatsoever would be cast as the lead in a rom com movie? No. Not even remotely. Not even if she bears a striking resemblance to a Chinese influencer. Did I care? No, not really, because this was pretty stinking fun. I just wish it hadn't ended as abruptly as it does because now I have to try and track down the sequel.

I will say that I think I would have enjoyed this more if she'd been in her early 20s OR if she'd gone for a reason other than the movie. But on the whole? It was an enjoyable enough read! ]]> 3.54 2020
author: Diana Ma
name: K.
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, diverse-author, library, own-voices, setting-asia, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: violence, car accident, Tiananmen Square massacre, [spoilers removed]

3.5 stars

Did I believe for a second that this 18 year old girl who's previously only booked a commercial and who has no formal training whatsoever would be cast as the lead in a rom com movie? No. Not even remotely. Not even if she bears a striking resemblance to a Chinese influencer. Did I care? No, not really, because this was pretty stinking fun. I just wish it hadn't ended as abruptly as it does because now I have to try and track down the sequel.

I will say that I think I would have enjoyed this more if she'd been in her early 20s OR if she'd gone for a reason other than the movie. But on the whole? It was an enjoyable enough read!
]]> 533609
Vetinari isn't talking about wages, of course. He's referring, rather, to the Royal Mint of Ankh-Morpork, a venerable institution that has run for centuries on the hereditary employment of the Men of the Sheds and their loyal outworkers, who do make money in their spare time. Unfortunately, it costs more than a penny to make a penny, so the whole process seems somewhat counter-intuitive.

Next door, at the Royal Bank, the Glooper, an "analogy machine," has scientifically established that one never has quite as much money at the end of the week as one thinks one should, and the bank's chairman, one elderly Topsy (née Turvy) Lavish, keeps two loaded crossbows at her desk. Oh, and the chief clerk is probably a vampire.

But before Moist has time to fully consider Vetinari's question, fate answers it for him. Now he's not only making money, but enemies too; he's got to spring a prisoner from jail, break into his own bank vault, stop the new manager from licking his face, and, above all, find out where all the gold has gone—otherwise, his life in banking, while very exciting, is going to be really, really short. . . .]]> 349 Terry Pratchett 0385611013 K. 4
22/1/2025
Reading this in the aftermath of the US Inauguration, the early observation that the architecture of banks closely resembles temples and that tells you all you need to know about the rich is, uh, yeah. Accurate. It's accurate.

11/8/2015
Essentially, this is Pratchett Does Banking And Economics. And despite a topic that should be incredibly dry, it manages to be completely hilarious. That's probably helped by the presence of Mr Fusspot, a small dog of indeterminate parentage who ends up as the Chairman of the Royal Ankh-Morpork Bank. There's also a gollum who's decided to be female and that the rules in antiquated etiquette books must be obeyed. There's a guy who thinks he's Lord Vetinari, and there's our old friend Moist von Lipwig, who has the post office running smoothly and is therefore bored out of his brain.

Look, it's what you'd expect from a Pratchett book. Great characters, a story that's equal parts informative, entertaining and truth-bomb-dropping, and a bunch of laughs along the way. In short, it's pretty damned good.]]> 4.20 2007
author: Terry Pratchett
name: K.
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: fantasy, own-it-hard-copy, 2015, humour, setting-fantasy, 2025
review:
Content warnings: murder, death, theft, mental health, fatphobia

22/1/2025
Reading this in the aftermath of the US Inauguration, the early observation that the architecture of banks closely resembles temples and that tells you all you need to know about the rich is, uh, yeah. Accurate. It's accurate.

11/8/2015
Essentially, this is Pratchett Does Banking And Economics. And despite a topic that should be incredibly dry, it manages to be completely hilarious. That's probably helped by the presence of Mr Fusspot, a small dog of indeterminate parentage who ends up as the Chairman of the Royal Ankh-Morpork Bank. There's also a gollum who's decided to be female and that the rules in antiquated etiquette books must be obeyed. There's a guy who thinks he's Lord Vetinari, and there's our old friend Moist von Lipwig, who has the post office running smoothly and is therefore bored out of his brain.

Look, it's what you'd expect from a Pratchett book. Great characters, a story that's equal parts informative, entertaining and truth-bomb-dropping, and a bunch of laughs along the way. In short, it's pretty damned good.
]]> 28218622
Bex is ready to start a new life in foster care. There, she won't be known as a serial killer's daughter. Though her father was never tried for the murders attributed to "The Wife Collector," he disappeared after questioning. And Bex struggles with the guilt that she provided the circumstantial evidence that convicted him in the public's perception—and drove him to abandon her.

But when a body turns up in her new hometown, all signs point to the Wife Collector. Bex's old life isn't ready to let her go. The police want to use Bex to lure in her father. But is she baiting a serial killer or endangering an innocent man?]]> 297 Hannah Jayne 1492631795 K. 3
3.5 stars

Pros:
- fast paced
- a delightfully creepy concept
- gripping throughout

Cons:
- Bex is kind of an idiot??
- the romance was extremely rushed and very unnecessary
- some of the plot points felt massive underdeveloped

So ultimately, it was FINE? But I feel confident that I won't remember anything beyond "oh right, her dad is a serial killer" in like a week's time. ]]> 3.47 2016
author: Hannah Jayne
name: K.
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, crime, library, setting-usa, thriller
review:
Content warnings: murder, death of a grandparent (in the past), descriptions of dead bodies

3.5 stars

Pros:
- fast paced
- a delightfully creepy concept
- gripping throughout

Cons:
- Bex is kind of an idiot??
- the romance was extremely rushed and very unnecessary
- some of the plot points felt massive underdeveloped

So ultimately, it was FINE? But I feel confident that I won't remember anything beyond "oh right, her dad is a serial killer" in like a week's time.
]]> 199474065 'Night at the Museum as reimagined by Michael Crichton and Stephen King. . . Luke Dumas's uncommonly intelligent novels thrill me and move me and thrill me some more' - A.J. Finn, best-selling Author of The Woman in the Window

A haunted paleontologist returns to the museum where his sister was abducted years earlier and is faced with a terrifying mystery in this chilling novel, perfect for fans of Katy Hays's The Cloisters and Dan Brown.

Dr. Simon Nealy never expected to return to his quiet Pennsylvania hometown, let alone the Hawthorne Museum of Natural History. He was just a boy when his six-year-old sister, Morgan, was abducted from the museum under his watch. The guilt has haunted Simon ever since. But after the loss of the aunt who raised him, Simon feels drawn back to the place where Morgan vanished without a trace.

But from the moment he arrives, things aren't what he expected. The Hawthorne is a crumbling ruin and plummeting toward financial catastrophe. Worse, Simon begins seeing and hearing things he can't strange animal sounds. Bloody footprints that no living creature could have left. A prehistoric killer looming in the shadows of the museum.

Terrified he's losing his grasp on reality, Simon turns to the handwritten research diaries of his predecessor and uncovers a blood-soaked mystery in the making that could be the answer to everything - if he can solve it before it's too late.

Praise for Luke Dumas

'Devilishly smart' -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

'[A] stellar debut, a complex whydunit'-Publishers Weekly, starred review

'Clever, twisty. . . imbued with emotional and psychological insight. . . left me thrilled and looking over my shoulder' -Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World

'A delicious walk along the razor's edge between the imagined and the supernatural' -Andrew Pyper, author of The Demonologist

'Readers, this novel is not safe and will have you questioning what's real for many sleepless nights to come'- Clay McLeod Chapman, author of The Remaking

'I consumed this book breathlessly, and every time I think of its jaw-dropping ending, I feel a chill all over again'- Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot

'A modern-day Gothic tale with claws, it latches into you and doesn't let go' -Jennifer Fawcett, author of Beneath the Stairs]]> 367 Luke Dumas 1408720523 K. 3
I was really excited about this book, especially when I opened it and it was described as Night at the Museum meets Stephen King. But to me, this was neither of those things. It was, instead, a plodding story about a man trying to learn the history of a fossil he's ended up responsible for in the middle of the COVID pandemic while also trying to work out what happened to his little sister at the same museum 20-odd years earlier.

I expected horror, and what I got was a mystery that didn't entirely keep me engaged with a side of dinosaur ghosts that ended up in a place I didn't care for. So ultimately, I think it's just that this book wasn't for me and I couldn't really get into it, and I'm a little sad about that because the cover and the premise are FANTASTIC. ]]> 3.88 2023
author: Luke Dumas
name: K.
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, crime, diverse-author, own-it-kindle, own-voices, paranormal, setting-usa, thriller
review:
Content warnings: disappearance of a child, disappearance of a sibling, death, murder, blood, mental health, addiction, murder, COVID-19 pandemic, hospitalisation of a parent, kidnapping, animal death, child abuse (in the past)

I was really excited about this book, especially when I opened it and it was described as Night at the Museum meets Stephen King. But to me, this was neither of those things. It was, instead, a plodding story about a man trying to learn the history of a fossil he's ended up responsible for in the middle of the COVID pandemic while also trying to work out what happened to his little sister at the same museum 20-odd years earlier.

I expected horror, and what I got was a mystery that didn't entirely keep me engaged with a side of dinosaur ghosts that ended up in a place I didn't care for. So ultimately, I think it's just that this book wasn't for me and I couldn't really get into it, and I'm a little sad about that because the cover and the premise are FANTASTIC.
]]> 58018735 It was just one moment.
It was just one mistake.

For years, men have been disappearing. A father in North Carolina. A boater in California. A hiker in Arkansas. And more, scattered across the United States. The FBI knows who’s responsible: a serial killer they caught, a man they sent young profiler Cole Kennedy to interrogate. But then the killer escaped, leaving the FBI in chaos and Cole’s psyche in tatters.

Eight years later, Cole’s life has changed. He’s found the man of his dreams, and he’s moved to Iowa to be with Special Agent Noah Downing, leaving the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and the murderers behind.

Or so he thought.

An attack on the backroads of Iowa shatters the FBI, and in the aftermath, they uncover the signature of the last man they expect: the killer who got away. Now he’s hunting Noah, and the BAU descends on Des Moines, sending Cole back on the psychological chase.

To catch the only man who has ever beaten him, Cole will have to delve inside the killer’s mind. It’s a place he barely survived before, and the deeper he goes, the more horrors await. And though Noah is ordered to back off the investigation, he won’t leave Cole to face this darkness alone.

If Cole has any hope of saving the man he loves, he must unravel the killer’s twisted profile and follow his trail of death�� even when it leads him into the marrow of his worst nightmares.]]> 376 Tal Bauer K. 4
3.75 stars

I loved the first book in this series, so I was very interested to see how this one would be given that the relationship is very much established. And, like, I would argue that in a lot of ways this isn't a romance. Yes, it has a romantic subplot. But it's a thriller, pure and simple.

Anyway, it was dark and twisty and often utterly horrifying. And during the flashback sections where Cole is interviewing the serial killer eight years earlier, I frequently had to take breaks to give the icky feelings time to go away because some of the descriptions of what he did to his victims were so detailed.

That being said, this kept me guessing throughout and I desperately needed to know how the story was going to play out. There were just times when I didn't want QUITE the level of detail that I got. ]]> 4.44 2021
author: Tal Bauer
name: K.
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, crime, diverse-author, difficult-topics, lgbtqia-narrator, kindle-unlimited, own-voices, setting-usa, thriller
review:
Content warnings: graphic murder, rape, kidnapping, assault, gun violence, hospitalisation, necrophilia, descriptions of dead bodies, mental health

3.75 stars

I loved the first book in this series, so I was very interested to see how this one would be given that the relationship is very much established. And, like, I would argue that in a lot of ways this isn't a romance. Yes, it has a romantic subplot. But it's a thriller, pure and simple.

Anyway, it was dark and twisty and often utterly horrifying. And during the flashback sections where Cole is interviewing the serial killer eight years earlier, I frequently had to take breaks to give the icky feelings time to go away because some of the descriptions of what he did to his victims were so detailed.

That being said, this kept me guessing throughout and I desperately needed to know how the story was going to play out. There were just times when I didn't want QUITE the level of detail that I got.
]]> 203164371 A fascinating window into the secret life of epidemiology, weaving together stories of triumph and tragedy, with a boots-on-the-ground perspective on how we can avert the next public health crisisThere are few visible markers of the accomplishments of public health. If epidemiologists do their jobs, nothing happens. An outbreak does not grow into an epidemic. A child does not go hungry. A would-be smoker never lights up.��These achievements are rarely noticed or celebrated, but Caitlin Rivers lives for such victories. By making sure that things don’t happen, she and legions of scientists, practitioners, and policymakers change the course of history.We have many of the tools and experiences needed to prevent the next crisis, but countless challenges remain, including constantly emerging pathogens, the rapid growth of biotechnology, and the inconsistent cycles of funding for government organizations like the CDC. Progress can be slow, even with the next pandemic potentially right around the corner, but the unsung heroes in public health remain focused on their missions. Averted is their story—from the eradication of smallpox in the 20th century to today’s safeguards against extraterrestrial germs. ��By taking a candid look at how we solve problems in public health, Caitlin Rivers illuminates the role of epidemiology in all our lives and lays out the case for what can be accomplished, given sufficient vision, leadership, and resources. Averted is an inspiring and��galvanizing clarion call for us to work together towards a healthier, more resilient future.]]> 320 Caitlin Rivers 0593490797 K. 4
A compelling examination of disease and the ways in which society both fights back against it and prepares for its inevitable arrival. This was, a lot of the time, extremely US-centric and I wish it had looked more broadly at the approaches of other countries. Also I'm probably now on a watchlist of some description because the section on anthrax had me wondering what Australia's reaction would be (the federal government has a plan. It's from 2012 lol).

All in all, this was good but at the same time I wish I'd read it with my eyeballs and not my ears because there were chunks of this that just sailed straight past my brain and out the other ear. ]]> 4.24
author: Caitlin Rivers
name: K.
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, non-fiction, own-it-audible, science, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: pandemic, epidemic, mentions of terrorist attacks, problems during pregnancy, terminal illness

A compelling examination of disease and the ways in which society both fights back against it and prepares for its inevitable arrival. This was, a lot of the time, extremely US-centric and I wish it had looked more broadly at the approaches of other countries. Also I'm probably now on a watchlist of some description because the section on anthrax had me wondering what Australia's reaction would be (the federal government has a plan. It's from 2012 lol).

All in all, this was good but at the same time I wish I'd read it with my eyeballs and not my ears because there were chunks of this that just sailed straight past my brain and out the other ear.
]]> 58589332
When Mina and Evelyn conduct a ritual to speak to the dead they unwittingly become the centre of a deadly triangle �� who murdered those teenagers, Mina’s family and their hidden past, and the furies of the spirit realm.

Mina And Evelyn must learn to rebuild their trust, and unearth all the buried mysteries of Sand Dollar Cove to lay the ghosts of The Drowning Summer to rest.]]> 400 C.L. Herman 1789098599 K. 3
This was a compelling premise and for the most part, the story was pretty fast paced. But it felt like so much of the mystery got left to the last, like, 50-60 pages and as a result I had kind of stopped caring by the time we got to that point. ]]> 3.18 2022
author: C.L. Herman
name: K.
average rating: 3.18
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, fantasy, lgbtqia-narrator, library, paranormal, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: death, murder, kidnapping, blood, gaslighting, biphobia

This was a compelling premise and for the most part, the story was pretty fast paced. But it felt like so much of the mystery got left to the last, like, 50-60 pages and as a result I had kind of stopped caring by the time we got to that point.
]]> 198902257 13 TIMES WE SURVIVED THE FIRST KILL.

The White Guy Dies First is a powerful and entertaining collection for YA readers featuring thirteen scary stories in which the white guy dies first.

Edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker, including stories from bestselling and critically acclaimed Adiba Jaigirdar, Alexis Henderson, Chloe Gong, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, H. E. Edgmon, Kalynn Bayron, Karen Strong, Kendare Blake, Lamar Giles, Mark Oshiro, Naseem Jamnia, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Terry J. Benton-Walker.]]> 306 Terry J. Benton-Walker 1250861268 K. 4
Holy hell, this collection was fantastic. Like, FANTASTIC. Every story is utterly unique. Every protagonist is diverse in multiple ways. Every story was horrifying and disgusting and there was at least one story where I had to pause and walk away for a little bit because it grossed me out SO HARD.

All in all, this was BRILLIANT and the narrators all did a fantastic job. But at the same time, I kind of wish I'd read this with my eyeballs and not my ears because I tend to retain details better with an eyeballs read. ]]> 3.80 2024
author: Terry J. Benton-Walker
name: K.
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, bipoc-narrator, difficult-topics, disability-or-medical-condition, diverse-author, horror, lgbtqia-narrator, library, own-voices, neurodiversity, setting-usa, short-stories-and-novellas
review:
Content warnings: graphic body horror, gore, death, death of a loved one, death of a family member, racism, homophobia, transphobia, violence, cannibalism, dead naming, probably a ton of other stuff I have forgotten about because there was A Lot happening in this book.

Holy hell, this collection was fantastic. Like, FANTASTIC. Every story is utterly unique. Every protagonist is diverse in multiple ways. Every story was horrifying and disgusting and there was at least one story where I had to pause and walk away for a little bit because it grossed me out SO HARD.

All in all, this was BRILLIANT and the narrators all did a fantastic job. But at the same time, I kind of wish I'd read this with my eyeballs and not my ears because I tend to retain details better with an eyeballs read.
]]> 202468206 The hardest thing for a paranormal conspiracy theorist and a web series producer to believe in is finding love in this swoony debut romantic comedy.
��
Hallie Barrett's life has imploded after she's dumped by her hotshot ex, who also happens to be her coworker and the star of the online series she was producing. Without a new show to present for the company competition, she’ll be out of a job. But inspiration can come from the strangest places . . . like the most handsome guy she’s ever seen passionately discussing Bigfoot on a late-night docuseries.
��
Hayden Hargrove made a name for himself as a cryptid expert on his hit podcast, and is intrigued by the plucky, blue-haired producer who offers him the opportunity to lead his own web show. When the production team sees that Hayden’s solo on-screen presence is bad enough to make a ghost blanch, Hallie jumps on camera too, hitting him (and his cryptids) with a healthy dose of skepticism—and enough chemistry to electrify their show to the top of the competition.
��
As Hayden and Hallie investigate the unknown, they unearth feelings for each other that shake their beliefs to the core. In their search for Mothman, aliens, and the truth, the most elusive discovery might just be learning to love again.]]> 367 Mallory Marlowe 0593640098 K. 4
Okay, first things first: I have this tagged as LGBTQIA+ narrator. This is because there's a (admittedly, an almost throw away) line at the end of the story about Hallie finding the term grey asexual and relating strongly to it. But it's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, so do with this information what you will.

Anyway. I was sold on this when it was described as a rom com version of The X-Files, because I was TRASH for The X-Files back in the day. And yes, the dynamic between Hayden and Hallie is very Mulder/Scully a lot of the time. But I don't know that I'd describe it as X-Files-esque, if only because the conspiracies and cryptids that they're discussing on the show are very much in the background and a means to an end in terms of the plot.

That being said, I had a delightful time reading this and I'll definitely be picking up whatever Marlowe writes next! ]]> 3.99 2024
author: Mallory Marlowe
name: K.
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, contemporary, lgbtqia-narrator, own-it-kindle, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: toxic relationship (in the past), emotional abuse, death of a parent (in the past), bullying, grief, drug use

Okay, first things first: I have this tagged as LGBTQIA+ narrator. This is because there's a (admittedly, an almost throw away) line at the end of the story about Hallie finding the term grey asexual and relating strongly to it. But it's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, so do with this information what you will.

Anyway. I was sold on this when it was described as a rom com version of The X-Files, because I was TRASH for The X-Files back in the day. And yes, the dynamic between Hayden and Hallie is very Mulder/Scully a lot of the time. But I don't know that I'd describe it as X-Files-esque, if only because the conspiracies and cryptids that they're discussing on the show are very much in the background and a means to an end in terms of the plot.

That being said, I had a delightful time reading this and I'll definitely be picking up whatever Marlowe writes next!
]]> 123015161
At eighteen, figure skater Elijah Rodriguez has already had his Olympic dreams crushed by an accident that left him with a seizure disorder and an existential crisis. Now a popular vlogger and freshmen in college, Eli is trying to figure out what his new future will look like. Which is a little difficult because, oh yeah, he’s dating Alexander Price.

Eli and Alex are happy. It’s sort of a new state of being for both of them. But Eli is out, Alex isn’t, and their very visible “friendship�� is already raising eyebrows. They have a plan: Alex will make their relationship public at the end of the season, hopefully with a Stanley Cup in tow. But what happens when that plan is derailed by an overzealous fan who outs them—right before the Hell Hounds�� playoff run?]]> 317 E.L. Massey K. 4
Did I start reading this almost as soon as I finished the first one? Yes. Do I wish these characters were five years older than they are OR that they were both university students rather than a university student and a professional NHL player? Yes. Was it still cute as hell? YES.

My favourite scene, hands down, was the team fighting fire with (metaphorical) fire and leaning into the homophobic asshattery of the other teams because it was hilarious.

Did I lowkey hate the way this ended? Yes. But at the same time, I was having such a delightful time reading it that I kind of didn't mind. ]]> 4.49 2023
author: E.L. Massey
name: K.
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: 2025, audience-new-adult, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, difficult-topics, disability-or-medical-condition, diverse-author, lgbtqia-narrator, library, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: outing, homophobia, homophobic slurs, racism, hospitalisation, physical injury

Did I start reading this almost as soon as I finished the first one? Yes. Do I wish these characters were five years older than they are OR that they were both university students rather than a university student and a professional NHL player? Yes. Was it still cute as hell? YES.

My favourite scene, hands down, was the team fighting fire with (metaphorical) fire and leaning into the homophobic asshattery of the other teams because it was hilarious.

Did I lowkey hate the way this ended? Yes. But at the same time, I was having such a delightful time reading it that I kind of didn't mind.
]]> 56786433 It was just one night.
It was just one mistake.

FBI Agent Noah Downing had questions about his sexuality that a single night in Vegas should have answered. But dawn finds him on a plane back to Iowa, back on the trail of a vicious serial killer who disappeared six years ago and has suddenly resurfaced. There's nothing like a murder investigation to escape an existential crisis.

FBI profiler Cole Kennedy is still reeling after finding a heart-stopping connection with a seemingly perfect man, only for him to vanish. When he's sent to Iowa to profile the killer terrorizing America's heartland, he finds more questions than answers - both about the murderer and about Noah, the last man he ever expected to see again.

A twisted secret stretches between Cole and Noah, tangled with questions they both have about each other. But now, thrown together, they'll have to unravel the killer's profile and follow his trail... back to the very beginning, to where everyone's questions are answered once and for all.

***This is an M|M romantic suspense standalone novel, featuring a second chance romance, the hunt for a twisted serial killer, and one man's journey to acceptance. 80k words.]]> 302 Tal Bauer K. 4
This is essentially Criminal Minds with a "Am I gay? I think I'm gay. Yeah, I'm REALLY gay" romance thrown in, and I was very here for it (I started rewatching Criminal Minds on 2 January, and I'm already half way through season 5 whoops). The characters were charming. The mystery was tense and compelling. The romance was sweet and occasionally angsty and ultimately lovely. I do wish it hadn't ended quite the way it did, but it's absolutely a personal preference and not a dealbreaker.

Will definitely be reading the sequel sooner rather than later! ]]> 4.25 2021
author: Tal Bauer
name: K.
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, crime, difficult-topics, diverse-author, lgbtqia-narrator, kindle-unlimited, own-voices, romance, setting-usa, thriller
review:
Content warnings: murder, blood, gore, death, gun violence, hospitalisation, violence, death of a child, suicide, torture, injury details, panic attacks

This is essentially Criminal Minds with a "Am I gay? I think I'm gay. Yeah, I'm REALLY gay" romance thrown in, and I was very here for it (I started rewatching Criminal Minds on 2 January, and I'm already half way through season 5 whoops). The characters were charming. The mystery was tense and compelling. The romance was sweet and occasionally angsty and ultimately lovely. I do wish it hadn't ended quite the way it did, but it's absolutely a personal preference and not a dealbreaker.

Will definitely be reading the sequel sooner rather than later!
]]> 833438 Librarian note: an alternate cover for this edition can be found here.

'Crivens!'

Tiffany Aching put one foot wrong, made just one little mistake ...

And now the spirit of winter is in love with her. He gives her roses and icebergs and showers her with snowflakes, which is tough when you're thirteen, but also just a little bit ... cool.

If Tiffany doesn't work out how to deal with him, there will never be another springtime ...

Crackling with energy and humour, Wintersmith is the third title in a sequence about Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men - the Nac Mac Feegles who are determined to help Tiffany, whether she wants it or not.]]> 400 Terry Pratchett 0552553697 K. 4
14/1/2025
It's been over a decade since I read this, and in some ways it's definitely a more forgettable addition to the Tiffany Aching series. But in other ways, it's fascinating to see Tiffany coming into her own, working more closely with Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, being a leader - a witch - in ways she hasn't in the past.

I do stand by what I said last time about this being a story about coming of age as a teenage girl and attracting the unwanted attention of men. It definitely feels that way.

8/9/2014
Last time around, I gave this book three stars. This time around, I noticed something pretty interesting. Namely, that the whole thing can be seen as a discussion about the importance of consent and the importance of teenage girls having their own voice. I mean, Tiffany jumps into the Dark Morris, causing the Wintersmith to become infatuated with her. He follows her around, no matter how many times she tells him not to. He makes increasingly ridiculous gestures - frost roses, Tiffany-faced snowflakes, Tiffany-faced icebergs - while Tiffany spends her time looking over her shoulder and waiting nervously for the next enormous gesture.

It's entirely possible that I'm reading too much into this, obviously. Still, it's a pretty great story even if I *am* reading too much into things...]]> 4.21 2006
author: Terry Pratchett
name: K.
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/14
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: audience-young-adult, fantasy, audience-middle-grade, 2014, own-it-hard-copy, humour, setting-fantasy, 2025
review:
Content warnings: stalking, death, animal death, terminal illness

14/1/2025
It's been over a decade since I read this, and in some ways it's definitely a more forgettable addition to the Tiffany Aching series. But in other ways, it's fascinating to see Tiffany coming into her own, working more closely with Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, being a leader - a witch - in ways she hasn't in the past.

I do stand by what I said last time about this being a story about coming of age as a teenage girl and attracting the unwanted attention of men. It definitely feels that way.

8/9/2014
Last time around, I gave this book three stars. This time around, I noticed something pretty interesting. Namely, that the whole thing can be seen as a discussion about the importance of consent and the importance of teenage girls having their own voice. I mean, Tiffany jumps into the Dark Morris, causing the Wintersmith to become infatuated with her. He follows her around, no matter how many times she tells him not to. He makes increasingly ridiculous gestures - frost roses, Tiffany-faced snowflakes, Tiffany-faced icebergs - while Tiffany spends her time looking over her shoulder and waiting nervously for the next enormous gesture.

It's entirely possible that I'm reading too much into this, obviously. Still, it's a pretty great story even if I *am* reading too much into things...
]]> 152260379
That three innocent people died. That the last stop on the Rainier Ripper's trail of death seventeen years ago was her innocuous little teashop.

She knows that the consequences of catching the Ripper still haunt her police officer husband and their marriage to this day and that some of her neighbours are desperate - desperate enough to welcome a dark tourism company keen to cash in on Rainier's reputation as the murder town.

When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat on Gemma's doorstep, the unease that has lurked quietly in the original killer's wake turns to foreboding, and she's drawn into the investigation. Unbeknownst to her, so is a prisoner named Lane Holland.

Gemma knows her town. She knows her people. Doesn't she?]]> 346 Shelley Burr 0733647863 K. 4
3.5 stars

There's something very unsettling about this cover, and I mean that as a compliment. There's also something about small town Australian crime novels that generally hits the mark for me. And, like, this one DID but it also didn't and I can't entirely put my finger on why.

Maybe it's because it never entirely felt like a small town to me? There wasn't enough of the location/town in the story to make it have that sense of claustrophobia that often comes with small rural towns in Australia. It could easily have been a suburb in a city or regional town for the majority of the story. It was only the handful of police officers that give it more of a small town feel to me.

It probably also doesn't help that I haven't read Burr's first book, and a quick look at the blurb tells me that one of the critical characters here is featured in that. And not having his backstory kind of impacted my feelings about him throughout the course of the story.

So yeah, I definitely enjoyed it and I liked Gemma as a protagonist. But it also somehow wasn't what I expected it to be, and I don't know if that's my expectations based on the cover or because I didn't read the author's debut first... ]]> 3.72 2023
author: Shelley Burr
name: K.
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: 2023, audience-adult, australian, crime, difficult-topics, library, setting-australia, thriller
review:
Trigger warnings: murder, blood, violence, slut shaming of sex workers, incarceration, mental health, stabbing, death, fire

3.5 stars

There's something very unsettling about this cover, and I mean that as a compliment. There's also something about small town Australian crime novels that generally hits the mark for me. And, like, this one DID but it also didn't and I can't entirely put my finger on why.

Maybe it's because it never entirely felt like a small town to me? There wasn't enough of the location/town in the story to make it have that sense of claustrophobia that often comes with small rural towns in Australia. It could easily have been a suburb in a city or regional town for the majority of the story. It was only the handful of police officers that give it more of a small town feel to me.

It probably also doesn't help that I haven't read Burr's first book, and a quick look at the blurb tells me that one of the critical characters here is featured in that. And not having his backstory kind of impacted my feelings about him throughout the course of the story.

So yeah, I definitely enjoyed it and I liked Gemma as a protagonist. But it also somehow wasn't what I expected it to be, and I don't know if that's my expectations based on the cover or because I didn't read the author's debut first...
]]> 60710537
I mean, Mum didn't drink that much. All of my friends' parents loved their champagne or whatever. Everyone drank in The Village, too. I'd only been there for about a month and there'd already been five wine and food festivals. Mum's drinking wasn't a big deal. Right?

Phoebe's non-Indigenous mother, a busy event manager, and her father, an Aboriginal man and uni lecturer, have split up and she's moved to sleepy old Willunga with him and his new health-obsessed girlfriend. It's only a few kilometres from Phoebe's old friends and the city, but it feels like another world.

Her new school is full of hippies, but some of the kids are cool and the local basketball team is tight, and before long Phoebe's fitting in. But as her mum becomes increasingly unreliable, Phoebe's grades begin to suffer, her place on the basketball team is under threat and her worries spiral out of control.

Phoebe can't tell her friends and is worried her dad will get angry, but pretending everything is fine is breaking her heart. How can she help her mum without tearing her family apart?]]> 384 Jared Thomas 1760631833 K. 3
Okay, so on the one hand? This is an extremely important book about a kid struggling with a new town and a new living arrangement and the realisation that her mother is an alcoholic. On the other hand, there were far too many things going on in this story and I don't feel like there was much in the way of emotional depth??

IDK. Maybe it's just me being picky, but this somehow felt too long and too short all at the same time. ]]> 3.91 2022
author: Jared Thomas
name: K.
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, australian, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, difficult-topics, diverse-author, first-nations, library, own-voices, setting-australia, loveozya
review:
Content warnings: alcoholism, car accident, blood, racism, bullying, emotional abuse, sexual assault, toxic relationship

Okay, so on the one hand? This is an extremely important book about a kid struggling with a new town and a new living arrangement and the realisation that her mother is an alcoholic. On the other hand, there were far too many things going on in this story and I don't feel like there was much in the way of emotional depth??

IDK. Maybe it's just me being picky, but this somehow felt too long and too short all at the same time.
]]> 59694324
Eighteen-year-old vlogger Elijah Rodriguez is a freshman in college recovering from an injury that derailed his Olympic figure-skating dreams. Mixed-race, disabled, and out of the closet since he was fourteen, Eli is unapologetically himself. He has no qualms about voicing his disapproval of celebrity jocks who make homophobic jokes on Twitter and park their flashy cars in the handicapped spaces outside of ice rinks.

After an antagonistic introduction, Alex and Eli’s inexplicable friendship both baffles and charms the internet. But navigating relationships is hard enough for normal teenagers. It’s a lot harder when the world—much of it disapproving—is watching you fall in love with your best friend.]]> 423 E.L. Massey 1648905242 K. 4
This was utterly adorable and extremely fast paced. I don't know that I'd say it's the most well developed story in the world - I honestly don't understand why it wasn't just a university ice hockey team as it genuinely seemed like the only reason Alex was an NHL player was so that he had money to throw around - but I had such a good time with it that I didn't really care.

The author dedicates the book to fan fic writers and then lists a lot of fellow fic writers in the acknowledgements, and this had the same fast paced hurl-you-into-the-story feel as fan fic. I promise I mean that as a compliment.

Long story short: this read like fan fic, both in tone and in the fact that I fucking devoured it. My one gripe would be that the ending really isn't an ending so now I immediately have to pick up the sequel. Hmph. ]]> 4.26 2022
author: E.L. Massey
name: K.
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: 2025, audience-new-adult, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, difficult-topics, disability-or-medical-condition, lgbtqia-narrator, library, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: car accident (in the past), hospitalisation (in the past), homophobia, chronic illness, panic attacks, mental health, physical injury

This was utterly adorable and extremely fast paced. I don't know that I'd say it's the most well developed story in the world - I honestly don't understand why it wasn't just a university ice hockey team as it genuinely seemed like the only reason Alex was an NHL player was so that he had money to throw around - but I had such a good time with it that I didn't really care.

The author dedicates the book to fan fic writers and then lists a lot of fellow fic writers in the acknowledgements, and this had the same fast paced hurl-you-into-the-story feel as fan fic. I promise I mean that as a compliment.

Long story short: this read like fan fic, both in tone and in the fact that I fucking devoured it. My one gripe would be that the ending really isn't an ending so now I immediately have to pick up the sequel. Hmph.
]]> 57640563
Justin Swanscott has three certainties in his life: he’s gay, football is overrated, and he really, really doesn’t like cowboys. He should never have fallen into Wes’s open-range eyes or let his heart run wild when Wes gave him that shy little smile over summer. But he couldn’t stop himself.

Everyone’s asking questions about Wes this season: How is he playing so well? Will Texas be undefeated this year? Will he take the team all the way to the national championship? What’s next for him?

The truth? Wes isn’t dreaming about an NFL contract. His heart belongs to Justin, even though the world wants it to belong to football.

Wes has stadiums packed with screaming fans, ESPN is all over him, and the NFL wants him badly. He’s living under a microscope, and the pressure keeps building as the team keeps winning. Everyone wants something from him, but all Wes wants is to love Justin.

Something’s gotta give.]]> 394 Tal Bauer K. 4
Look, I always love Tal Bauer's books. This one, however, I loved a LITTLE bit less, if only because it's set at university when the main characters are 20. And I'm officially too old to read university romances about 20 year old characters.

Anyway. I loved the dynamic between Wes and Justin, and the way that their relationship develops. The relationship between Justin and his dad was also utterly precious and I'm so glad that aspect of the story was included. I did find myself wanting more of their majors (nursing and public health) than them attending French and dance classes. But that's probably just a Me Thing.

On the whole? Utterly charming and very sweet, but ultimately a less emotional read for me than some of Bauer's other contemporaries that feature adult characters. ]]> 4.29 2021
author: Tal Bauer
name: K.
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/10
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: 2025, audience-new-adult, contemporary, difficult-topics, diverse-author, kindle-unlimited, lgbtqia-narrator, own-voices, romance, setting-europe, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: homophobia, assault, hospitalisation, homophobic slurs, death of a parent (in the past)

Look, I always love Tal Bauer's books. This one, however, I loved a LITTLE bit less, if only because it's set at university when the main characters are 20. And I'm officially too old to read university romances about 20 year old characters.

Anyway. I loved the dynamic between Wes and Justin, and the way that their relationship develops. The relationship between Justin and his dad was also utterly precious and I'm so glad that aspect of the story was included. I did find myself wanting more of their majors (nursing and public health) than them attending French and dance classes. But that's probably just a Me Thing.

On the whole? Utterly charming and very sweet, but ultimately a less emotional read for me than some of Bauer's other contemporaries that feature adult characters.
]]> 55231252 A routine flight turns into a suspenseful race through the remote jungles of Honduras

When strangers Breanna Winters and Derek Stiles met on a flight to Colombia, they never imagined they would need to rely on each other for survival. Taken hostage by a group of radical environmental vigilantes, Bree worries her secret identity has been discovered—and her fears are confirmed when she learns a ransom request has been sent to her father. Though she’s the daughter of a prominent tech mogul, Bree’s wealth can’t guarantee her safety, so former Navy fighter pilot Derek pretends to be her fiancé in order to accompany her on a dangerous jungle trek led by the radicals. With chemistry building between the pair, a romance isn’t hard to fake, though they can’t let their attraction distract them. If Bree and Derek ever want to see civilization again, they’ll have to work together and rely on their wits to escape their captors.]]> 84 Kat Martin 0369705416 K. 2
2.5 stars

Look, I only picked this up because it's set in Honduras and I'm trying to read books set in as many countries as possible. And this is a novella, so it seemed like an easy way to tick off a country early in the year. (Please note: I am fully aware this book is not representative of Honduras. That's not my goal. My goal is to colour in countries on my silly little maps because it brings me joy. If you want to read books representative of countries, go your hardest and leave me out of it, yeah?)

And, like, yeah, this did tick a box. But at what cost? I knew going in that this was romantic suspense, but I didn't anticipate having to read lines like "He didn’t have a condom. He would have to pull out, have to be careful, but his own pleasure didn’t matter. He wanted this, wanted just to be with her, to claim her in some way. As the pleasure increased, he realized part of him would like nothing more than for Bree to end up with his child. She would have to marry him then." when these characters have known each other for, like, three days. Because yikes, sir. YIKES. ]]> 3.57 2021
author: Kat Martin
name: K.
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, adventure, crime, library, romance, setting-central-america, short-stories-and-novellas, thriller
review:
Content warnings: plane hijacking, hostage situation, gun violence, terrorism

2.5 stars

Look, I only picked this up because it's set in Honduras and I'm trying to read books set in as many countries as possible. And this is a novella, so it seemed like an easy way to tick off a country early in the year. (Please note: I am fully aware this book is not representative of Honduras. That's not my goal. My goal is to colour in countries on my silly little maps because it brings me joy. If you want to read books representative of countries, go your hardest and leave me out of it, yeah?)

And, like, yeah, this did tick a box. But at what cost? I knew going in that this was romantic suspense, but I didn't anticipate having to read lines like "He didn’t have a condom. He would have to pull out, have to be careful, but his own pleasure didn’t matter. He wanted this, wanted just to be with her, to claim her in some way. As the pleasure increased, he realized part of him would like nothing more than for Bree to end up with his child. She would have to marry him then." when these characters have known each other for, like, three days. Because yikes, sir. YIKES.
]]> 60695252
We're a puzzle made of two pieces.

Landon Larsen is the envy of all the dads in Last Waters, Texas. He's cool, confident, and put together. He and his son—the high school's all-star quarterback—have the perfect father-son relationship. He’s such a Super Dad, it's almost sickening.

I'm not cool, or confident, and my relationship with my son couldn't be worse. He's barely speaking to me, and a year after my wife died, we're both clinging to the wreckage of our family.

Landon's son and mine are best friends and—of course—Landon is the football Team Dad. And though I know nothing about football, Landon convinces me to volunteer to be closer to my son. Volunteering might give him and me a chance to rebuild what's broken between us. Now I'm spending all my free time with the team—and with Landon—and the more we're together, the deeper our friendship grows. My son is opening up, too, little by little. I think I’m getting him back.

There's just one giant problem.

I'm head over heels for Landon.

I've never been attracted to men in my life�� until him. Landon draws me in without even trying, and the harder I fight this, the deeper I fall.

Crushing on my son's best friend's father must be my biggest parenting failure ever, but I can't get enough of Landon. Falling for him puts each fragile moment I've rebuilt with my son at risk. What would he think if he knew I craved his best friend's dad? I'm playing with fire, but I can't turn off these feelings Landon has unlocked inside of me.

Of course, a guy like Landon could never fall for someone like me. It's pointless to even imagine we could be something together.
So why did I just kiss him?

***

You & Me is a single dads, friends-to-lovers, bi awakening MM romance, full of dads and their exasperating teenage sons, high school sports shenanigans, and #FoundFamily. Come for the epic love, stay for the forever feels.]]> 384 Tal Bauer K. 5
9/1/2025
Look, rereading this after making Evan Buckley and Eddie Diaz from 9-1-1 my ENTIRE PERSONALITY in the second half of 2024? This book is very Eddie Diaz coded.

24/1/2024
Oh, this was precious. I didn't love it QUITE as much as I loved The Rest of the Story, but it's definitely up there. I loved that it's a guy in his 40s struggling to single parent his teenage son. I loved that it's a friendship story before he has the realisation that maybe, just maybe, he's romantically and sexually interested in the guy who's become his best friend when he's always thought he was straight. And I love the way the romance plays out between them.

It felt very Friday Night Lights at times, and having just finished a rewatch in December, I was very here for that energy. The ending was, to be honest, a tiiiiiiiny bit rushed but I also didn't care because I cried my way through the last 15% of the book and I'm so glad I finally picked this up. ]]> 4.47 2022
author: Tal Bauer
name: K.
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: 2024, 5-star, audience-adult, contemporary, difficult-topics, diverse-author, i-ship-it, kindle-unlimited, lgbtqia-narrator, own-voices, romance, setting-usa, 2025
review:
Trigger warnings: death of a spouse (in the past), toxic relationship (in the past), grief, mentions of suicidal ideation, alcohol use, homophobia, religious bigotry, mentions of car accident, lying, [spoilers removed]

9/1/2025
Look, rereading this after making Evan Buckley and Eddie Diaz from 9-1-1 my ENTIRE PERSONALITY in the second half of 2024? This book is very Eddie Diaz coded.

24/1/2024
Oh, this was precious. I didn't love it QUITE as much as I loved The Rest of the Story, but it's definitely up there. I loved that it's a guy in his 40s struggling to single parent his teenage son. I loved that it's a friendship story before he has the realisation that maybe, just maybe, he's romantically and sexually interested in the guy who's become his best friend when he's always thought he was straight. And I love the way the romance plays out between them.

It felt very Friday Night Lights at times, and having just finished a rewatch in December, I was very here for that energy. The ending was, to be honest, a tiiiiiiiny bit rushed but I also didn't care because I cried my way through the last 15% of the book and I'm so glad I finally picked this up.
]]> 201750645
BOW DOWN WITCHES

It’s 1536 and the Queen has been beheaded.

Lady Grace Fairfax, witch, knows that something foul is at play �� that someone had betrayed Anne Boleyn and her coven.

Wild with the loss of their leader �� and her lover, a secret that if spilled could spell Grace’s own end �� she will do anything in her power to track down the traitor.

But there’s more at stake than revenge: it was one of their own, a witch, that betrayed them, and Grace isn’t the only one looking for her. King Henry VIII has sent witchfinders after them, and they’re organized like they’ve never been before under his new advisor, the impassioned Sir Ambrose Fulke, a cold man blinded by his faith. His cruel reign could mean the end of witchkind itself.

If Grace wants to find her revenge and live, she will have to do more than disappear.

She will have to be reborn.

In this gripping, propulsive, sultry novella, Juno Dawson takes us back to the bloody beginnings of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven to show us the strength, steel and sacrifice it takes to make a sisterhood.
©2024 Juno Dawson (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers]]> 171 Juno Dawson 000866045X K. 4
Getting the backstory for the main series was great, and I loved seeing how things started. But at the same time, JUST GIVE ME BOOK 3 PLS. ]]> 3.81 2024
author: Juno Dawson
name: K.
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, diverse-author, fantasy, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, library, paranormal, setting-uk, short-stories-and-novellas
review:
Content warnings: death, execution, misogyny, miscarriage, childbirth, fire

Getting the backstory for the main series was great, and I loved seeing how things started. But at the same time, JUST GIVE ME BOOK 3 PLS.
]]> 61281732
Welcome to Bolingbroke. It's a small town just like any other . . . or so eighth graders Val and Lanie think. They’re the best of best friends—they love the same comics, they watch the same shows, and they’re always there for each other. Which is important when you’re queer, like Lanie, or on the spectrum, like Val, and just don’t seem to fit in anywhere.

When a school project about their hometown’s supernatural history leads to a for-real ghost sighting, Val and Lanie realize Bolingbroke might not be as boring as they’d always thought. But after a run-in with the resident middle school queen bee (who also happens to be Lanie’s former friend), they decide to take things to the next level . . . and accidentally summon the Ojja-Wojja, a demonic presence connected to a slew of mysterious tragedies throughout Bolingbroke’s sordid history.

Now all heck has broken loose. With the whole town acting weird and nowhere left to turn, it’s going to be up to Val, Lanie, and their small group of friends to return things to normal—if “normal�� is even something they want to return to.]]> 192 Magdalene Visaggio 0062852396 K. 3
3.5 stars

This was a strange little book. I didn't always understand what was going on - I found the colours and the font choice somewhat overwhelming - but I really loved the emphasis on friendship and how the characters are stronger together than they are apart. ]]> 3.69 2023
author: Magdalene Visaggio
name: K.
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: 2025, audience-middle-grade, bipoc-narrator, graphic-novel, horror, lgbtqia-narrator, library, neurodiversity, paranormal, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: violence, bullying, possession, ableism

3.5 stars

This was a strange little book. I didn't always understand what was going on - I found the colours and the font choice somewhat overwhelming - but I really loved the emphasis on friendship and how the characters are stronger together than they are apart.
]]> 219874490 Everything I riotous fun, heart-clenching romance, and pitch-perfect characters!' CHRISTINA LAUREN

A laugh-out-loud romcom with a twist. Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood, The Lost City and a good old fashioned enemies-to-lovers.

Her find the Lost City of the Moon in the Amazon rainforest.
His protect the holy temple . . . and his heart.

While her mentor may be the world's most badass archaeologist, the only thing bad about Dr Miriam Jacobs are her corny jokes. But when Miri is charged with leading an unmapped expedition through the Amazon for the fabled Lost City of the Moon, she finally has her chance to prove to her colleagues that she's capable - and hopefully prove it to herself, too.

Journalist Rafael Monfils has joined the archaeological team to chronicle their search for the lost city. Or at least, that's what they think he's doing. Rafa's real goal? Make sure the team does not reach the Cidade da Lua, stopping the desecration of the holy city and protecting his mother's legacy. All he needs to do is keep them on the wrong path.

If only the endearingly quirky Dr Jacobs wasn't so damn tenacious - each of Rafa's tricks and purposeful wrong turns only seem to fuel her determination. Even worse, he's charmed by her goofy attempts to channel Lara Croft as they traverse the dangerous Brazilian rainforest. But they're not the only crew hunting for the lost city, and soon the untamed jungle - and their untamed hearts - might be the least of their worries . . .

Why readers love Jo

'The ultimate enemies-to-lovers adventure romcom!' ALI HAZELWOOD

'Romancing the Stone meets Indiana Jones in this thrilling adventure romance' Entertainment Weekly

'A true adventure romcom - filled with snappy banter, heart-pounding twists and turns' ALICIA THOMPSON

'Snappy banter and sizzling tension in an enemies-to-lovers romance' ADRIANA HERRERA

'Everything I'm looking for in an adventure romance. It's full of humour and heart-pounding action, and is steamier than the Amazon itself' JENNA LEVINE]]> 370 Jo Segura 0349438714 K. 4
Oh, this was so much fun. It very much feels like an Indiana Jones movie with more romance thrown in. Given that I have an archaeology degree, I perhaps would have liked a little more actual archaeology, but given the setting and the fact that they're hunting for a lost city, it's perhaps not surprising.

The romance was cute and I really enjoyed how he was instantly on board with her awkwardness and her weirdness and that he matches her level of weird exactly.

There were definitely some plot twists I didn't see coming, and the ending was perhaps a tad more rushed than I would have liked. But on the whole? Delightful. More please. ]]> 3.33 2025
author: Jo Segura
name: K.
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, bipoc-narrator, adventure, diverse-author, own-it-kindle, own-voices, romance, setting-south-america
review:
Content warnings: bullying, misogyny, physical injury, blood, violence

Oh, this was so much fun. It very much feels like an Indiana Jones movie with more romance thrown in. Given that I have an archaeology degree, I perhaps would have liked a little more actual archaeology, but given the setting and the fact that they're hunting for a lost city, it's perhaps not surprising.

The romance was cute and I really enjoyed how he was instantly on board with her awkwardness and her weirdness and that he matches her level of weird exactly.

There were definitely some plot twists I didn't see coming, and the ending was perhaps a tad more rushed than I would have liked. But on the whole? Delightful. More please.
]]> 218108610 You can check out of Room 9, but you can never leave.

The Haunting of Hill House meets Nina LaCour in this paranormal mystery YA about the ghosts we carry with us.

Something is building, simmering just out of reach.

The room is watching. But Mira and Layla don't know this yet. When the two best friends are stranded on their spring break college tour road trip, they find themselves at the Wildwood Motel, located in the middle of nowhere, Indiana. Mira can't shake the feeling that there is something wrong and rotten about their room. Inside, she's haunted by nightmares of her dead brother. When she wakes up, he's still there.

Layla doesn't see him. Or notice anything suspicious about Room 9. The place may be a little run down, but it has a certain charm she can’t wait to capture on camera. If Layla is being honest, she’s too preoccupied with confusing feelings for Mira to see much else. But when they learn eight people died in that same room, they realize there must be a connection between the deaths and the unexplainable things that keep happening inside it. They just have to find the connection before Mira becomes the ninth.

Readers won't be able to put down this tender thriller that includes over thirty interior black and white photos by the author!]]> 384 Meriam Metoui K. 4
3.75 stars

This was utterly compelling, and while the mystery/horror aspects of the story didn't QUITE hit the mark for me in the end, the included photographs were gorgeous and definitely added an extra layer to my enjoyment of the story! ]]> 3.50 2023
author: Meriam Metoui
name: K.
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, bipoc-narrator, difficult-topics, diverse-author, horror, lgbtqia-narrator, library, muslim-narrator, own-voices, setting-usa, thriller
review:
Content warnings: death, suicide, drowning, death of a sibling, fire, mental health, cultural homophobia(??)

3.75 stars

This was utterly compelling, and while the mystery/horror aspects of the story didn't QUITE hit the mark for me in the end, the included photographs were gorgeous and definitely added an extra layer to my enjoyment of the story!
]]> 198112130 In this steamy Regency romp, Lady Selina is determined to find the Duke of Stanhope the perfect wife―the only problem is she's starting to think that might be her.

Peter Kent―newly inherited Duke of Stanhope and recently of New Orleans, Louisiana―must become respectable. Between his radical politics and the time he interrupted a minor royal wedding with a flock of sheep―not his fault!―he’s developed a scandalous reputation at odds with his goal of becoming guardian to his half siblings. For help, he turns to the cleverest and most managing woman of his acquaintance, Lady Selina Ravenscroft.

Selina is society’s most proper debutante, save one tiny secret: she runs an erotic circulating library for women. When Peter asks for her help, she suggests courtship and marriage to a lady of unimpeachable reputation. (Which is to say, definitely not herself.)

But matchmaking doesn’t go according to plan. Peter’s siblings run rampant on Bond Street. Selina ends up in the Serpentine. And worst of all, the scorching chemistry between Peter and Selina proves impossible to resist. For the disreputable duke and his unpredictable matchmaker, falling in love just might be the ultimate scandal.]]> 345 Alexandra Vasti 1250910951 K. 5
Oh, I loved this. The dynamic between Peter and Selina is FANTASTIC, and the story balances humour and emotion extremely well. The secondary characters are delightful, and Vasti includes plenty of background diversity which I appreciated. And I'm always here for a romance book that includes small precocious children as an obstacle/reason for the protagonists to spend time together.

Cannot wait for the next book in the series! ]]> 3.93 2024
author: Alexandra Vasti
name: K.
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: 2025, 5-star, audience-adult, historical-fiction, romance, own-it-kindle, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: death of a sibling (in the past), illness, misogyny, death of a parent (in the past), custody dispute

Oh, I loved this. The dynamic between Peter and Selina is FANTASTIC, and the story balances humour and emotion extremely well. The secondary characters are delightful, and Vasti includes plenty of background diversity which I appreciated. And I'm always here for a romance book that includes small precocious children as an obstacle/reason for the protagonists to spend time together.

Cannot wait for the next book in the series!
]]> 125489591 An adventure story that examines consent and privacy in a way that books have not had to before this generation where everything is online.

A week ago, if someone had told Paige she’d be stuck in traffic with three total strangers on a mission to stop a global organization from controlling their minds, she would have laughed. But somehow this is real life. She adjusts her noise cancelling headphones, trying to drown out more of the car horns and music blaring from a neighboring sedan. Her fists clench and unclench. Inside her shoes, her toes wiggle, trying to let out some of her nervous energy.

As much as Paige hates the word normal, it’s a pretty good word to describe her life, and the kind of night she was having just before a single email turned her world upside down.

In an effort to better understand and communicate with their autistic daughter, Paige's parents enrolled her in a study without her consent. Without her knowledge they had a chip implanted in her brain that keeps track of her location and brain activity. It can boost the chemicals that affect her mood. Suddenly, Paige isn’t sure who she can trust. Can she even trust her own mind anymore?

Now the company that created her chip is days away from merging with the most popular social network in the world, that has a reputation for selling people’s private information to the highest bidder.

Paige feels betrayed and like she’s been robbed of her free will. But there is one thing she can do. The email includes the names and addresses of the other kids involved in the study. She can track them down and show them what’s been done to them.

Maybe altogether they can put a stop to this merger and figure out how to get their chips removed for good.]]> 248 Jen Wilde 133888056X K. 4
3.5 stars

For some reason, I had it in my head that this was a mystery, but it's really more of an adventure story. I really liked the characters, although I'm not sure Paige was my favourite of the kids. In some ways, I kind of wish this was a split narration between, say, Paige, Kelsey and Mara? I understand why it's not, but I think it could have been a more powerful story with different perspectives.

Anyway. This is an autistic tween who finds out that she had an implant put into her brains by an Elon Musk type tech billionaire who's now selling his company to a social media company. She also finds out that she's not the only one, and decides to seek out the others. The kids team up and want the world to know about the experimental implant before their data is sold to this social media company.

Ultimately, this was perhaps a TOUCH too middle grade for my liking, but I'm also a 41 year old reading middle grade so go ahead and ignore me and my curmudgeonly nonsense. ]]> 4.00 2024
author: Jen Wilde
name: K.
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves:
review:
Content warnings: ableism, autistic meltdown, animal testing, medical experimentation on neurodiverse children

3.5 stars

For some reason, I had it in my head that this was a mystery, but it's really more of an adventure story. I really liked the characters, although I'm not sure Paige was my favourite of the kids. In some ways, I kind of wish this was a split narration between, say, Paige, Kelsey and Mara? I understand why it's not, but I think it could have been a more powerful story with different perspectives.

Anyway. This is an autistic tween who finds out that she had an implant put into her brains by an Elon Musk type tech billionaire who's now selling his company to a social media company. She also finds out that she's not the only one, and decides to seek out the others. The kids team up and want the world to know about the experimental implant before their data is sold to this social media company.

Ultimately, this was perhaps a TOUCH too middle grade for my liking, but I'm also a 41 year old reading middle grade so go ahead and ignore me and my curmudgeonly nonsense.
]]> 62676025
Her ex-boyfriend wants her back. Her former best friend is in town. When did Hannah’s life become a K-drama?

Hannah Cho had the next year all planned out—the perfect summer with her boyfriend, Nate, and then a fun senior year with their friends.

But then Nate does what everyone else in Hannah’s life seems to do—he leaves her, claiming they have nothing in common. He and all her friends are newly obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas, and Hannah is not. After years of trying to embrace the American part and shunning the Korean side of her Korean American identity to fit in, Hannah finds that’s exactly what now has her on the outs.

But someone who does know K-dramas—so well that he’s actually starring in one—is Jacob Kim, Hannah’s former best friend, whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s desperate for a break from the fame, so a family trip back to San Diego might be just what he needs…that is, if he and Hannah can figure out what went wrong when they last parted and navigate the new feelings developing between them.

"A deliciously swoony romance." —Helen Hoang, New York Times bestselling author of The Heart Principle
"A smart, funny book not to be missed!" —Emiko Jean, New York Times bestselling author of Tokyo Ever After
"Pitch-perfect." —Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Today Tonight Tomorrow]]> 304 Susan Lee 1335453733 K. 4
3.75 stars

For the most part, I really enjoyed this. It's a "childhood friends who lose touch and reconnect in their late teens and fall in love" situation, and I loved the way that it wove K-drama fandom culture into the story.

That being said, while I loved the dynamic between Hannah and Jacob and the way that the romance develops between them, I did find that I wanted it to go harder on the fandom side of things and the way that Jacob's life is effectively controlled by the studio. I also wanted it to go harder on Hannah's feelings of abandonment.

But perhaps I'm asking too much from a cutesy YA contemporary romance, idk. ]]> 3.36 2022
author: Susan Lee
name: K.
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, diverse-author, library, own-voices, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: bullying, racism, abandonment, death of a parent (in the past), vomit

3.75 stars

For the most part, I really enjoyed this. It's a "childhood friends who lose touch and reconnect in their late teens and fall in love" situation, and I loved the way that it wove K-drama fandom culture into the story.

That being said, while I loved the dynamic between Hannah and Jacob and the way that the romance develops between them, I did find that I wanted it to go harder on the fandom side of things and the way that Jacob's life is effectively controlled by the studio. I also wanted it to go harder on Hannah's feelings of abandonment.

But perhaps I'm asking too much from a cutesy YA contemporary romance, idk.
]]> 214939882 JUST PROMISE TO NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH ME.. .

After yet another disastrous date, Ella Hart resigns herself to a life of solitude.

But fate seems to have other plans when she finds herself rescued from the remnants of her love life by bartender, Xavier James. With dreams of making his own name in the industry and taking over the family business, Xavier never imagined the magnetic pull between the two of them.

Their connection is instant and neither can deny the chemistry they have. As they spark a strong friendship, they navigate the blurred lines of their sexual chemistry and decide to make an arrangement to fulfill their mutual needs.

But beneath the surface of their arrangement lies a minefield of unresolved emotions. Ella yearns for a deeper connection while Xavier is working through the guilt of his past relationship and the pressure of taking over the business.

With passion igniting between them and emotions bubbling to the surface, Ella and Xavier must confront the ultimate can they keep their feelings at bay and shield their hearts from breaking?]]> 260 Emily Nicole 1763618919 K. 4
A sweet contemporary romance set in Adelaide. Could definitely relate to a lot of the school related stuff. I did find that the Taylor Swift and Sarah J Maas references were a TAD too much for my liking and may date the book into the future, but overall? I had a good time with this.]]> 4.25
author: Emily Nicole
name: K.
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: 2025, audience-adult, australian, contemporary, difficult-topics, kindle-unlimited, romance, setting-australia
review:
Content warnings: toxic workplace, toxic management, mental health, mentions of fertility

A sweet contemporary romance set in Adelaide. Could definitely relate to a lot of the school related stuff. I did find that the Taylor Swift and Sarah J Maas references were a TAD too much for my liking and may date the book into the future, but overall? I had a good time with this.
]]> 56978093 A memoir-driven realistic graphic novel about Tyler, a child who is diagnosed with ADHD and has to discover for himself how to best manage it.

Tyler’s brain is different. Unlike his friends, he has a hard time paying attention in class. He acts out in goofy, over-the-top ways. Sometimes, he even does dangerous things—like cut up a bus seat with a pocketknife or hang out of an attic window.

To the adults in his life, Tyler seems like a troublemaker. But he knows that he’s not. Tyler is curious and creative. He’s the best artist in his grade, and when he can focus, he gets great grades. He doesn’t want to cause trouble, but sometimes he just feels like he can’t control himself.

In Button Pusher, cartoonist Tyler Page uses his own childhood experiences to explore what it means to grow up with ADHD. From diagnosis to treatment and beyond, Tyler’s story is raw and enlightening, inviting you to see the world from a new perspective.]]> 256 Tyler Page 1250758335 K. 4
A fascinating insight into growing up with ADHD in an era when it was largely unknown. I loved the way that Page mixed informative sections on how neurodiversity impacts the brain and its development with his own story. As far as a readership, I'm not entirely sure who he intends this for. The content - particularly his parents' relationship - means it's more of a YA read, but he's in elementary school for a lot of the story, so...???

I also liked how it dealt with the balance to find the right dosage of medications - it's not just as simple as taking Ritalin and you're magically better. It's a lifelong mix of adjustments and medication changes and just...hoping for the best.

All in all, this was a compelling read and I'm glad I gave it a shot. ]]> 4.02 2022
author: Tyler Page
name: K.
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: 2025, audience-middle-grade, audience-young-adult, biographies-and-memoirs, difficult-topics, diverse-author, graphic-novel, library, non-fiction, neurodiversity, own-voices, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: domestic violence, toxic relationship

A fascinating insight into growing up with ADHD in an era when it was largely unknown. I loved the way that Page mixed informative sections on how neurodiversity impacts the brain and its development with his own story. As far as a readership, I'm not entirely sure who he intends this for. The content - particularly his parents' relationship - means it's more of a YA read, but he's in elementary school for a lot of the story, so...???

I also liked how it dealt with the balance to find the right dosage of medications - it's not just as simple as taking Ritalin and you're magically better. It's a lifelong mix of adjustments and medication changes and just...hoping for the best.

All in all, this was a compelling read and I'm glad I gave it a shot.
]]> 200174167
Warren Bullock always thought he was a decent person. But lately he's been haunted by a sinister voice in his head urging him to commit unspeakable acts of violence against the people around him.

And then the rumors start... There have been a string of disappearances in southeastern Kansas, and his father's friend is one of the missing travelers. When Warren's father leaves to investigate and doesn't return, Warren knows this is his chance to prove that he is stronger than his darkest impulses.

As he makes his way through Kansas, he finds himself at a suspicious inn run by the Benders, a family with deeply unsettling mannerisms. They watch every move he makes, stand over him in his sleep, and the daughter seems to be able to see into both the past and future.

As he delves further into the disappearances, he realizes one or all of the Benders may be responsible for all the missing people―and might be the reason his father never came home. It's up to Warren to set things right, even if that means giving into the voice he has been working so hard to ignore.]]> 384 Bryce Moore 1728293332 K. 4
3.75 stars

I really love how Moore takes horrifying true crime events from the past and weaves them into compelling young adult thrillers. My favourite is still The Perfect Place to Die because it's so indescribably tense and gripping, and HH Holmes was a creepy little freak of a man. But this was fun too, because it's a case I knew nothing about so I got to go down a Wikipedia rabbit hole and I love that!

I will say, the middle section of this dragged for me, and I suspect that's because for a lot of the time, Warren is off on his own, tracking and hunting down those responsible and, like, it was a necessary part of the story? But at the same time, it's literally just a teenage boy and his horse out on the prairie with no human interaction and it got a little boring there for a while.

The ending made up for it though, so I guess there's that? ]]> 3.37 2024
author: Bryce Moore
name: K.
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: 2025, audience-young-adult, crime, difficult-topics, historical-fiction, library, setting-usa, thriller
review:
Content warnings: murder, blood, gore, death of a parent, animal death, death of an infant, gun violence, physical injury, intrusive thoughts, racism towards First Nations populations, mob mentality, lynching, graphic descriptions of corpses

3.75 stars

I really love how Moore takes horrifying true crime events from the past and weaves them into compelling young adult thrillers. My favourite is still The Perfect Place to Die because it's so indescribably tense and gripping, and HH Holmes was a creepy little freak of a man. But this was fun too, because it's a case I knew nothing about so I got to go down a Wikipedia rabbit hole and I love that!

I will say, the middle section of this dragged for me, and I suspect that's because for a lot of the time, Warren is off on his own, tracking and hunting down those responsible and, like, it was a necessary part of the story? But at the same time, it's literally just a teenage boy and his horse out on the prairie with no human interaction and it got a little boring there for a while.

The ending made up for it though, so I guess there's that?
]]> 75364705
I keep things simple. I’m a classic one-night wonder. Relationships? Are you out of your mind? No. No way. Not interested. My heart is vulcanized rubber, puck hard, and that’s the way I like it.

Then I'm traded to the absolute worst team in the NHL, the Rocky Mountain Outlaws, and I’m hit with a one-two punch.

First: I’m asked to step up and lead the team, which is every kind of bad idea you can imagine. I'm a head-down, mind-my-business kind of guy. Mr. Uninvolved, Mr. No, Not Me, Mr. Find Someone Else. But these players have been through a mess of hell, and someone thinks I can help pull them together.

The Outlaws are made up of jaded veterans and wide-eyed rookies, and we have no business whatsoever succeeding. We are scrappy and plucky and built out of spit and duct-tape�� and whatever we’re doing, it’s working.

Second: The first day I’m in Boulder, I go over the boards and come face-to-face with a pair of blue eyes and lose my heart. Boy, howdy: meet my new co-captain, Shea Darling.

He’s way, way off-limits. It's a stratospherically terrible idea to want or crave him. This crush, this infatuation, is going nowhere fast.

Yeah, right. I’m gone for Shea. I’m head over heels, and I’m all tangled up in something I can’t understand or control. This isn’t me. I don’t fall in love. And there’s nothing simple about Shea, or about the Outlaws. This team is finally putting up the wins, and we are making something of ourselves. Falling for my co-captain while we’re on a Cinderella run could jeopardize everything we’re striving for.

But then there’s this one night.
And this one kiss.
And everything changes.

Eighty-two games in a season.
Twenty men hungry for redemption.
One co-captain who could be my forever.

This is the rest of the story.



The Rest of the Story is a friends-to-lovers, hockey players/teammates MM romance, and includes themes of survivorship.

The Rest of the Story is set in the same universe as Gravity , but each novel can be read independently. You do not need to read Gravity first to enjoy The Rest of the Story.]]> 419 Tal Bauer K. 5
1/1/2025
Who doesn't want to start a new year by emotionally destroying themselves? Hmm?

23/4/2023
OH MY GOD, MY HEART.

This book, while EXTREMELY dark at times, was exactly what I needed. It's been a strange reading year for me, and I was starting to think that I was never going to read a 5 star book again. And then this came along, and it was perfection.

I basically knew it was going to be a 5 star book from the moment Morgan hurled himself over the boards to protect a kid he'd basically just met, and Brody continued to be one of my favourite characters throughout the book (yes, I've read the bonus content on Bauer's website and yes, it was also perfection).

The dynamic between Morgan and Shea is WONDERFUL and I loved how complex things are for both of them. Not because of their sexualities but because of their fear of how it will impact on the team. The way the team was ever-present in the story was fabulous and the found family dynamic was beautiful.

I sobbed my way through the last 20-25% of the story and every time I thought I was done crying, something else made me cry. Look, there WERE a couple of moments where everything felt a tad cheesy or a little too happy. But I had such a delightful time reading this that I honestly didn't care in the slightest.

Morgan was a fantastic protagonist and while I expected this to be a split narrative between him and Shea, I'm ultimately glad it wasn't because there was something about having the reader find out certain things at the same time as Morgan that made perfect sense each an every time.

Will definitely be reading this every time I want to get stabbed repeatedly in the feelings. ]]> 4.40 2023
author: Tal Bauer
name: K.
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2023, 5-star, audience-adult, contemporary, difficult-topics, i-ship-it, kindle-unlimited, lgbtqia-narrator, oh-god-my-feels, own-voices, romance, setting-usa, 2025, own-it-hard-copy
review:
Trigger warnings: graphic violence, physical assault, emotional abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence (in the past, but recounted on the page), bullying, gaslighting, suicidal thoughts, blood, car accident, hospitalisation of a loved one.

1/1/2025
Who doesn't want to start a new year by emotionally destroying themselves? Hmm?

23/4/2023
OH MY GOD, MY HEART.

This book, while EXTREMELY dark at times, was exactly what I needed. It's been a strange reading year for me, and I was starting to think that I was never going to read a 5 star book again. And then this came along, and it was perfection.

I basically knew it was going to be a 5 star book from the moment Morgan hurled himself over the boards to protect a kid he'd basically just met, and Brody continued to be one of my favourite characters throughout the book (yes, I've read the bonus content on Bauer's website and yes, it was also perfection).

The dynamic between Morgan and Shea is WONDERFUL and I loved how complex things are for both of them. Not because of their sexualities but because of their fear of how it will impact on the team. The way the team was ever-present in the story was fabulous and the found family dynamic was beautiful.

I sobbed my way through the last 20-25% of the story and every time I thought I was done crying, something else made me cry. Look, there WERE a couple of moments where everything felt a tad cheesy or a little too happy. But I had such a delightful time reading this that I honestly didn't care in the slightest.

Morgan was a fantastic protagonist and while I expected this to be a split narrative between him and Shea, I'm ultimately glad it wasn't because there was something about having the reader find out certain things at the same time as Morgan that made perfect sense each an every time.

Will definitely be reading this every time I want to get stabbed repeatedly in the feelings.
]]> 201751362 A Chickasaw woman who can’t catch a break serves up a little white lie that snowballs into much more in this witty and irresistible rom-com by debut author Danica Nava.

Ember Lee Cardinal has not always been a liar—well, not for anything that counted at least. But her job search is not going well and when her resumé is rejected for the thirty-seventh time, she takes matters into her own hands. She gets “creative�� listing her qualifications and answers the ethnicity question on applications with a lie—a half-lie, technically. No one wanted Native American Ember, but white Ember has just landed her dream accounting job on Park Avenue (Oklahoma City, that is). Accountant Ember thrives in corporate life—and her love life seems to be looking up Danuwoa Colson, the IT guy and fellow Native who caught her eye on her first day, seems to actually be interested in her too. Despite her unease over the no-dating policy at work, they start to see each other secretly, which somehow makes it even hotter? But when they're caught in a compromising position on a work trip, a scheming colleague blackmails Ember, threatening to expose their relationship. As the manipulation continues to grow, so do Ember’s lies. She must make the hard decision to either stay silent or finally tell the truth, which could cost her everything.]]> 382 Danica Nava 0593642619 K. 4
I was excited about this from the moment I heard about it. Like, that cover? Gorgeous. The premise? Adorable. The protagonist and the love interest? Delightful. The story was a sweet workplace romance and while I felt like the third act was a LITTLE rushed, I was having such a charming (if occasionally rage-inducing) time that I didn't really mind.

The author's note at the end was poignant, talking about her own experiences struggling to even get an interview when she ticked that she was First Nations but heard back regularly when she ticked that she was white and the way she took inspiration from her own experiences in crafting this book. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by this author in the future because this was great! ]]> 3.73 2024
author: Danica Nava
name: K.
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/09
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, diverse-author, difficult-topics, own-it-kindle, own-voices, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: racism, incarceration of a loved one, systemic racism, racial slurs, poverty, addiction (mentions only), cultural appropriation, parental abandonment, death of a parent (in the past)

I was excited about this from the moment I heard about it. Like, that cover? Gorgeous. The premise? Adorable. The protagonist and the love interest? Delightful. The story was a sweet workplace romance and while I felt like the third act was a LITTLE rushed, I was having such a charming (if occasionally rage-inducing) time that I didn't really mind.

The author's note at the end was poignant, talking about her own experiences struggling to even get an interview when she ticked that she was First Nations but heard back regularly when she ticked that she was white and the way she took inspiration from her own experiences in crafting this book. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by this author in the future because this was great!
]]> 123229276
Jory did everything right. Even when she fell in love with the shipwrecked sailor she rescued, she kept her secret. But tragedy struck, taking her love, and landlocking her anyway. Resigned to her fate after centuries of searching for her lost sealskin, Jory made her way to the tiny coastal Washington town of World’s End. When a new friend needs her help, Jory’s world is upended by the discovery that she wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.

Callum is tired. After nine hundred years as a vampire, immortality has begun to feel suffocating. Or, perhaps, it’s the fact that he’s spent centuries regretting the role he played in his one true love’s demise. A loose end leads him to the Pacific Northwest, where he receives the surprise of a dozen lifetimes.

What happens when the dead aren’t really dead at all?

Fate brought them together, cruel circumstances forced them apart, and now Jory has a choice to make. Should she return to the life she loved before she knew him? Or take a chance on the man for whom she left it all behind?

'Til All the Seas Run Dry is a contemporary, paranormal, dual POV romance with open door/explicit scenes. It is the second book in the Elements of Pining series, although it can be read as a standalone. This book is intended for audiences 18+. HEA guaranteed.]]> 380 Eliza MacArthur K. 5
4.5 stars

Oh my God the piniiiiiiiiiiiiiing!! Gold star pining, honestly. A thousand years of pining. Literally.

I loved this. It was fantastic from start to finish. Give me the next book immediately, ta muchly.]]> 4.46
author: Eliza MacArthur
name: K.
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/19
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, bipoc-narrator, difficult-topics, oh-god-my-feels, own-it-kindle, romance, paranormal, setting-usa, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: blood, death of a loved one (in the past), grief, mental health

4.5 stars

Oh my God the piniiiiiiiiiiiiiing!! Gold star pining, honestly. A thousand years of pining. Literally.

I loved this. It was fantastic from start to finish. Give me the next book immediately, ta muchly.
]]> 56483188 An entertaining and informative look at the unique culture of crime, punishment, and killing in Ancient Rome

In Ancient Rome, all the best stories have one thing in common—murder. Romulus killed Remus to found the city, Caesar was assassinated to save the Republic. Caligula was butchered in the theater, Claudius was poisoned at dinner, and Galba was beheaded in the Forum. In one 50-year period, 26 emperors were murdered.

But what did killing mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? In A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon examines a trove of real-life homicides from Roman history to explore Roman culture, including how perpetrator, victim, and the act itself were regarded by ordinary people. Inside Ancient Rome's darkly fascinating history, we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human.]]> 352 Emma Southon 164700232X K. 5
4.5 stars

Absolutely fucking hilarious from start to finish, and extremely informative to boot.]]> 4.08 2020
author: Emma Southon
name: K.
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/07
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, difficult-topics, history, non-fiction, scribd, setting-europe
review:
Content warnings: murder, death, violence, death of a child, slavery, misogyny, rape, suicide

4.5 stars

Absolutely fucking hilarious from start to finish, and extremely informative to boot.
]]> 206673322 She thrives in chaos. He prefers routine. The only thing they have in common? How much they hate each other. From the author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the highly anticipated next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small town romance featuring enemies to lovers and forced proximity.

Teddy Andersen doesn't have a plan. She's never needed one before. She's always been more of a go with the flow type of girl, but for some reason, the flow doesn't seem to be going her way this time. Her favorite vintage suede jacket has a hole in it, her sewing machine is broken, and her best friend just got engaged. Suddenly, everything feels like it's starting to change. Teddy's used to being a leader, but now she feels like she's getting left behind, wondering if the life she lives in the small town she loves is enough for her anymore.

Gus Ryder has a lot on his plate. He doesn't know what's taking care of his family's 8,000 acre ranch, or parenting his spunky six-year-old daughter, who is staying with him for the summer. Gus has always been the dependable one, but when his workload starts to overwhelm him, he slips up, and he has to admit that he can't manage everything on his own. He needs help. His little sister's best friend, the woman he can't stand, is not who he had in mind. But when no one else can step in, Teddy's the only option he's got. Teddy decides to use the summer to try and figure out what she wants out of life. Gus, on the other hand, starts to worry that he'll never find what he needs. Tempers flare, tension builds, and for the first time ever, Gus and Teddy start to see each other in a different light. As new feelings start to simmer below the surface, they must decide whether or not to act on them. Can they keep things cool? Or will both of them get burned?]]> 368 Lyla Sage 1529436729 K. 5
4.5 stars

After reading a metric ton of historical romances back to back to back, this was a breath of fresh air. I love these characters. I love this world. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. The dynamic between these two was fantastic, and I adored it. I am, however, taking points off for unprotected sex ridiculously early in the relationship because that is a pet peeve of mine. ]]> 4.20 2024
author: Lyla Sage
name: K.
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, contemporary, own-it-kindle, own-it-hard-copy, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: medical content, abandonment, death of a parent (in the past), alcohol

4.5 stars

After reading a metric ton of historical romances back to back to back, this was a breath of fresh air. I love these characters. I love this world. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. The dynamic between these two was fantastic, and I adored it. I am, however, taking points off for unprotected sex ridiculously early in the relationship because that is a pet peeve of mine.
]]> 58183467
Momo Gardner is the kind of friend who’s always ready to lend a helping hand. She’s introverted, sensitive, and maybe a little too trusting, but she likes to believe the best in people. PG, on the other hand, is a bit of a lone wolf, despite her reputation for being a flirt and a player. Underneath all that cool mystery, she’s actually quick to smile, and when she falls for someone, she falls hard. An unexpected meet-cute brings the two together, kicking off the beginning of an awkward yet endearing courtship—but with their drastically different personalities, Momo’s overprotective friend, and PG’s past coming back to haunt her, Momo and PG’s romance is put to the test.]]> 336 Eunnie 0593403231 K. 4
This was cute! Sometimes darker than anticipated, but it was still cute as hell. ]]> 4.55 2023
author: Eunnie
name: K.
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/19
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024, audience-young-adult, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, graphic-novel, lgbtqia-narrator, library, diverse-author, own-voices, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: mental health, homophobia

This was cute! Sometimes darker than anticipated, but it was still cute as hell.
]]> 63909932
After years of tension and chemistry, Bhram has finally convinced Rafael Diaz to give him a chance. Now they are settled in a beautiful New York City apartment, getting ready for their first holiday together. And what better way to celebrate than with a proposal? Bhram is Sikh, but he knows how important Christmas is to Rafael, and he wants to make it extra special this year.

Unfortunately, nothing is going according to plan. Rafael is distracted because he receives news about a former Bharat, Inc. employee who could negatively impact the company. The ring isn’t ready for pickup. And worst of all, Bhram’s parents miss their flight...on purpose.

Between chaotic meals featuring a burnt tandoori turkey, nosey relatives gossiping about family drama, and impending wedding bells, Bhram is afraid his plan for the perfect proposal will be a flop.

But sometimes, all you need is a bit of trust, family, and love to make those holiday wishes come true.

A Singh Family Christmas is a short and sweet M/M romance novella that takes place after The Legal Affair—book two in The Singh Family trilogy. However, this book can be read as a stand-alone story.

Tropes: Big immigrant families, holidays in New York City, proposal gone awry, HEA]]> 100 Nisha Sharma 1959678019 K. 4
Have I read the main books in this series? No. Did it matter? I...am not convinced it did. I very much enjoyed this novella, and I'll probably pick up the main books at some point if only to see how the relationship between these two started out. ]]> 3.86 2022
author: Nisha Sharma
name: K.
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: audience-adult, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, diverse-author, kindle-unlimited, lgbtqia-narrator, own-voices, romance, scribd, setting-usa, short-stories-and-novellas, 2024
review:
Content warnings: shitty parenting, homophobia

Have I read the main books in this series? No. Did it matter? I...am not convinced it did. I very much enjoyed this novella, and I'll probably pick up the main books at some point if only to see how the relationship between these two started out.
]]> 201304267 Monsters and mortals, rejoice! Acheron is back . . .

Though Laure has tried to close the lid on her ballet shoes and the feelings she once held for dance since the Palais Garnier incident two months ago, Laure is spinning out. Between partying, drinking, and avoiding anything and, well, everyone, she has no time to be anything but a monster. But when Laure stumbles across a mysterious dead body during one of her nights out, she’s forced to notice the cracks stretching beyond herself.

Below the streets of Paris, Elysium is dying, and Acheron and Lethe’s influence is spilling into the streets like a blight. Laure isn’t the only of Elysium’s beasts to rise from the ruins of Palais Garnier, and someone is mobilizing an army of monsters with plans greater than Laure, Andor, and Keturah could have ever guessed. While Laure is warring between her wants and Acheron’s ever-demanding appetite, she and her circle of monsters are left to reckon with a not-so-simple how do you save yourself from oblivion?

Jamison Shea's sharp and unflinching voice will bring readers to terrifying new heights in this vicious sequel to the "relentlessly gory and almost euphoric in its embrace of the horrific" (NPR) I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me.]]> 323 Jamison Shea 1250909597 K. 4
3.5 stars

I really should have reread the first book before I picked up this one, because I was LOST at least 30% of the time. But that's absolutely on me. ]]> 4.07 2024
author: Jamison Shea
name: K.
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024, audience-young-adult, bipoc-narrator, difficult-topics, diverse-author, horror, lgbtqia-narrator, library, own-voices, setting-europe
review:
Content warnings: death, blood, gore, bullying, racism, shitty parenting, possession

3.5 stars

I really should have reread the first book before I picked up this one, because I was LOST at least 30% of the time. But that's absolutely on me.
]]> 59932513
Accompanied by Almost Brilliant, a talking bird with an indelible memory, Chih confronts old legends and new dangers alike as they learn that every story—beautiful, ugly, kind, or cruel—bears more than one face.

The novellas of The Singing Hills Cycle are linked by the cleric Chih, but may be read in any order, with each story serving as an entrypoint.]]> 100 Nghi Vo 1250837995 K. 4
This series is such an absolute delight and this was a fantastic way to finish out my 2024 reading year. ]]> 4.14 2022
author: Nghi Vo
name: K.
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, bipoc-narrator, diverse-author, fantasy, historical-fiction, library, lgbtqia-narrator, own-voices, setting-asia
review:
Content warnings: death, violence, murder, injury, blood, war, sexual assault, kidnapping, animal death

This series is such an absolute delight and this was a fantastic way to finish out my 2024 reading year.
]]> 42379549
Ballroom champion Jess Davenport is a bona fide Scrooge.

Last year, they shared a midnight kiss at a New Year’s Eve party that made both of them believe—briefly—in the magic of the holiday season. The magic was cut short when Nik went on tour the next day, but he never stopped thinking about that kiss—or Jess.

When the holidays roll back around, Nik runs into Jess again. He doesn’t want to spend another year pining for the Scrooge who got away, so he tells Jess he’ll stay if she’ll give him a shot at being her Christmas Present.

Jess thinks he’s full of it, but she agrees to three dates. If Nik can make her believe in holiday magic in a place as un-wintery as Los Angeles—and convince her that he’s ready to stick around—she’ll give him a chance. But he won’t know until New Year’s Eve. If she kisses him at midnight, he’ll have his answer��

Praise for Alexis Daria:

“An author who clearly adores the world she’s developed—and the characters she’s matched.”—Sarah MacLean, New York Times> bestselling author, Washington Post

“A charming and authentic voice.”—Sonali Dev, author of A Distant Heart
]]> 154 Alexis Daria 1641970650 K. 4
Look, I enjoyed this. I did. But please, for the love of God, USE YOUR FUCKING WORDS. ]]> 3.77 2018
author: Alexis Daria
name: K.
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, diverse-author, library, short-stories-and-novellas, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: nothing that springs to mind??

Look, I enjoyed this. I did. But please, for the love of God, USE YOUR FUCKING WORDS.
]]> 50158635 Once Upon an Eid is a collection of short stories that showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year: Eid!

Eid: The short, single-syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it’s waking up to the sound of frying samosas or the comfort of bean pie, maybe it’s the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it’s the gift-giving and holiday parties to come that day. Whatever it may be, for those who cherish this day of celebration, the emotional responses may be summed up in another short and sweet word: joy. The anthology will also include a poem, graphic-novel chapter, and spot illustrations.

The full list of Once Upon an Eid contributors include: G. Willow Wilson (Alif the Unseen, Ms. Marvel), Hena Khan (Amina's Voice, Under My Hijab), N. H. Senzai (Shooting Kabul, Escape from Aleppo), Hanna Alkaf (The Weight of Our Sky), Rukhsana Khan (Big Red Lollipop), Randa Abdel-Fattah (Does My Head Look Big in This?), Ashley Franklin (Not Quite Snow White), Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (Mommy's Khimar), Candice Montgomery (Home and Away, By Any Means Necessary), Huda Al-Marashi (First Comes Marriage), Ayesha Mattu, Asmaa Hussein, and Sara Alfageeh.]]> 272 S.K. Ali 1419740830 K. 4
This was a charming - if sometimes sad - way to finish out the year. I loved getting to see stories of Muslim kids from communities all over the world experiencing Eid in a variety of different ways. There was so much joy and hope in this collection, and I genuinely had a lovely time reading this.]]> 4.21 2020
author: S.K. Ali
name: K.
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024, audience-middle-grade, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, difficult-topics, diverse-author, library, muslim-narrator, own-voices, setting-asia, short-stories-and-novellas, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: death of a parent, Islamophobia, xenophobia, cancer, grief

This was a charming - if sometimes sad - way to finish out the year. I loved getting to see stories of Muslim kids from communities all over the world experiencing Eid in a variety of different ways. There was so much joy and hope in this collection, and I genuinely had a lovely time reading this.
]]> 63251784
Isaac Itkin can’t get away from his thoughts.
��
As a lonely twelve-year-old kid with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), everything from studying to looking in the mirror becomes a battle between him and a swarm of unhelpful thoughts.
��
The strict therapy his mother insists on doesn’t seem to be working, but when a group of friends invites him to join their after-school role-playing game, the thoughts feel a little less loud, and the world feels a little brighter.
��
But Isaac’s therapist says that exposure to games can have negative effects on kids with OCD, and when his grades slip, his helicopter mother won’t let him play anymore. Now Isaac needs to find a way to prove to��himself, to his mother, and to the world that the way to quiet the noise in his head may have been inside��him��all along.]]> 224 Samuel Sattin 0316628417 K. 4
Oh, my heart. This was a gorgeous examination of OCD and the way it impacts Isaac's daily life and every single interaction that he has. I loved the way colour was used on the page, and the bees were such a simple yet effective way of illustrating his OCD.

The friendships that develop over the course of the story were utterly charming and I loved the inclusion of tabletop gaming as a creative outlet. All in all, I wish I'd read this book early last year so I could have recommended it to a student who's since left. ]]> 4.12 2023
author: Samuel Sattin
name: K.
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2025, audience-middle-grade, contemporary, difficult-topics, diverse-author, graphic-novel, library, neurodiversity, own-voices, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: mental health, pretty shitty parenting tbh

Oh, my heart. This was a gorgeous examination of OCD and the way it impacts Isaac's daily life and every single interaction that he has. I loved the way colour was used on the page, and the bees were such a simple yet effective way of illustrating his OCD.

The friendships that develop over the course of the story were utterly charming and I loved the inclusion of tabletop gaming as a creative outlet. All in all, I wish I'd read this book early last year so I could have recommended it to a student who's since left.
]]> 83994697 An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the bestselling author of The Dead Romantics.

Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

Six months ago, Clementine West had the worst day of her life. So, she came up with a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, take no risks. And it’s been working.

That is until one day she finds a strange man standing in her kitchen. A man with kind eyes, a crooked smile, and a recipe for the perfect lemon meringue pie. The kind of man that, before everything, she could have fallen for��

He’s perfect but for one thing: he lives in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact.

This should be impossible, but Clementine used to love impossible things. And maybe, just maybe, she will again. After all, love is never a matter of time �� but a matter of timing.]]> 347 Ashley Poston 0008566607 K. 5
4.5 stars

Oof. I loved this, but it definitely hit me far harder than I anticipated. Like, it was a bittersweet story where I was expecting a charming contemporary romance, and it's very clear that the author drew heavily on her own experiences with grief in writing the story.

The whole magical apartment thing didn't ALWAYS work for me, but the romance was so well done that I had a fantastic time regardless. ]]> 4.14 2023
author: Ashley Poston
name: K.
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/16
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, contemporary, deals-with-mental-illness, difficult-topics, magical-realism, own-it-kindle, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: death of a loved one, grief, alcohol, suicide, mental health

4.5 stars

Oof. I loved this, but it definitely hit me far harder than I anticipated. Like, it was a bittersweet story where I was expecting a charming contemporary romance, and it's very clear that the author drew heavily on her own experiences with grief in writing the story.

The whole magical apartment thing didn't ALWAYS work for me, but the romance was so well done that I had a fantastic time regardless.
]]> 61832178 It's people, isn't it? It starts with people.

Former child psychic Daisy hasn't thought about her past for a long time. She was only six, after all. The 'wise creatures' in the walls of the house, whispering secrets to her, are long gone. Her parents, dead in a mysterious accident, are forgotten. Some surfaces are better left unscratched. Daisy has left those things behind.

And now, ten years on, she has a happy, normal life. But she does wonder, sometimes, about the blank spaces in her memories. The fear when she encounters certain textures, scents. It can be hard to feel safe in a world that's full of fears you can't explain. Thank God for Nina, her trusting, sweet foster sister and best friend. So when something seems to upturn in Nina's life Daisy is shaken. Nina has some secret she is guarding, that she won't share with Daisy. And then Nina begins to speak of murmurs in the walls, of cold spots. She claims it isn't her. It's something else. A malevolent force.

And Daisy knows that something's up. And that the wise creatures, locked away for so long, are back. And this time they want both Nina, and Daisy ...]]> 368 Deirdre Sullivan 1471411206 K. 2
Oof. No.

Like, this was weird and I was expecting weird based on the blurb. But I definitely didn't expect this to go where it went. ]]> 3.59 2023
author: Deirdre Sullivan
name: K.
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/13
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-young-adult, difficult-topics, horror, library, setting-europe
review:
Content warnings: adult/minor relationship, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, death of a parent, self harm, emotional abuse, grief, car accident, death

Oof. No.

Like, this was weird and I was expecting weird based on the blurb. But I definitely didn't expect this to go where it went.
]]> 74896536
Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes—when you don’t feel “deaf enough�� to identify as Deaf or hearing enough to meet the world’s expectations. But this summer, Lilah is ready for a change.

When Lilah becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, her plan is to brush up on her ASL. Once there, she also finds a community. There are cute British lifeguards who break hearts but not rules, a YouTuber who’s just a bit desperate for clout, the campers Lilah’s responsible for (and overwhelmed by)—and then there’s Isaac, the dreamy Deaf counselor who volunteers to help Lilah with her signing.

Romance was never on the agenda, and Lilah’s not positive Isaac likes her that way. But all signs seem to point to love. Unless she’s reading them wrong? One thing’s for Lilah wanted change, and things here . . . they're certainly different than what she’s used to.]]> 320 Anna Sortino 059353381X K. 4
A charming story about a Deaf teenage girl whose parents are very "no, you must integrate into hearing society at all costs" attending a camp for Deaf and visually impaired kids and teens as a counsellor.

This turned out to be harder hitting than I expected based on that adorable cover, but I'm really glad I read it. ]]> 4.13 2023
author: Anna Sortino
name: K.
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/17
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-young-adult, contemporary, difficult-topics, disability-or-medical-condition, diverse-author, library, omg-that-cover, own-voices, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: ableism, police brutality, vomit, violence, blood, injury detail, gaslighting

A charming story about a Deaf teenage girl whose parents are very "no, you must integrate into hearing society at all costs" attending a camp for Deaf and visually impaired kids and teens as a counsellor.

This turned out to be harder hitting than I expected based on that adorable cover, but I'm really glad I read it.
]]> 198137097
Juliette��acquiesces the spotlight to Priya all year long in exchange for her moment in the sun at Fogridge Sleepaway Camp--the place where no one is "too much." Entering her final year as a camper at Fogridge with the prestigious title of North Star, Juliette's ready to forget about Priya and enjoy the outdoors, her fellow campers, and an environment where she gets to be more than a side character. But her hopes for a Priya-free summer are shattered when her rival shows up at Fogridge on move-in day and is assigned to be her roommate.

Juliette's perfect summer continues to spiral out of control when everything that could possibly go wrong does and she is forced to spend even more time with the person she thought she couldn’t stand. But as she begins to see a new side of Priya, she’s forced to grapple with a new and unexpected feeling…love?]]> 304 Erin Baldwin 0593622715 K. 3
So here's the thing: I didn't love this at the best of times. But I was genuinely baffled - and I continue to be baffled, two months after reading it, as to why these sixteen years olds are SO excited about going to summer camp. And not as counsellors. As campers.

Anyway, I liked what it was trying to do. But at the end of the day, the protagonist and the love interest both drove me up the wall, so eh. ]]> 4.14 2024
author: Erin Baldwin
name: K.
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/19
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-young-adult, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, diverse-author, lgbtqia-narrator, own-voices, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: injury detail, bullying, cancer

So here's the thing: I didn't love this at the best of times. But I was genuinely baffled - and I continue to be baffled, two months after reading it, as to why these sixteen years olds are SO excited about going to summer camp. And not as counsellors. As campers.

Anyway, I liked what it was trying to do. But at the end of the day, the protagonist and the love interest both drove me up the wall, so eh.
]]> 141020373 336 Jennifer D. Lyle 172827091X K. 4
I freaking loved this. Climate change horror? Y.E.S. But at the same time, this MAY have worked for me better than it will work for others because butterflies terrify me and so the idea of giant killer butterflies? MY NIGHTMARE. ]]> 3.57 2023
author: Jennifer D. Lyle
name: K.
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/19
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-young-adult, deals-with-mental-illness, horror, dystopian, library, sci-fi, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: death, blood, gore, animal death, violence, mental health

I freaking loved this. Climate change horror? Y.E.S. But at the same time, this MAY have worked for me better than it will work for others because butterflies terrify me and so the idea of giant killer butterflies? MY NIGHTMARE.
]]> 211780885
She needs a distraction, and Patrick, the wedding photographer, just might be the solution. Everyone has decided he is perfect for her. He is perfect for her. But the arrival of Mac, a not-quite-famous actor who has flown in from New York, complicates everything.

Much-loved YA author Nina Kenwood hits the spot with her first novel for adults. Laugh-out-loud funny with chemistry that jumps off the page, The Wedding Forecast will be the feel-good romcom of the summer.]]> 336 Nina Kenwood 1922790842 K. 3
3.5 stars

I've loved Kenwood's YA books so I was really excited to see what she'd do with an adult romance. And, like, I liked it? But at the same time, the messiness that works in a YA book because of the nature of the characters was less charming with a character in her 30s.

Essentially, this started out really well and I was hooked. And then somewhere along the way, the pacing became...strange. I'm still not sure, two and a bit months later, if I liked the protagonist or not. And the ending was rushed. Womp. ]]> 4.16 2024
author: Nina Kenwood
name: K.
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/21
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, australian, contemporary, library, romance, setting-australia, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: death of a parent, grief, pregnancy, alcohol

3.5 stars

I've loved Kenwood's YA books so I was really excited to see what she'd do with an adult romance. And, like, I liked it? But at the same time, the messiness that works in a YA book because of the nature of the characters was less charming with a character in her 30s.

Essentially, this started out really well and I was hooked. And then somewhere along the way, the pacing became...strange. I'm still not sure, two and a bit months later, if I liked the protagonist or not. And the ending was rushed. Womp.
]]> 121075705
Israel’s military industrial complex uses the occupied, Palestinian territories as a testing ground for weaponry and surveillance technology that they then export around the world to despots and democracies. For more than 50 years, occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has given the Israeli state invaluable experience in controlling an “enemy�� population, the Palestinians. It’s here that they have perfected the architecture of control.

Best-selling journalist Antony Loewenstein, author of Disaster Capitalism , uncovers this largely hidden world in a global investigation with ��secret documents, revealing interviews and on-the-ground reporting. This book shows in-depth, for the first time, how Palestine has become the perfect laboratory for the Israeli military-techno surveillance, home demolitions, indefinite incarceration and brutality to the hi-tech tools that drive the 'Start-up Nation'.
��
From the Pegasus software that hacked Jeff Bezos' and Jamal Khashoggi’s phones, the weapons sold to the Myanmar army that has murdered thousands of Rohingyas and drones used by the European Union to monitor refugees in the Mediterranean who are left to drown. Israel has become a global leader in spying technology and defence hardware that fuels the globe’s most brutal conflicts. As ethno-nationalism grows in the 21st century, Israel has built the ultimate model.]]> 371 Antony Loewenstein 183976211X K. 4
An extremely compelling and absolutely HORRIFYING deep dive from a Jewish Australian journalist into all the ways in which Israel uses Palestine as a testing ground for weapons and procedures that they then proceed to sell to the West. Truly, truly horrifying. And also extremely important reading. ]]> 4.38 2023
author: Antony Loewenstein
name: K.
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, australian, difficult-topics, diverse-author, jewish-narrator, library, non-fiction, own-voices, setting-middle-east, war
review:
Content warnings: genocide, war, Islamophobia, torture, systemic xenophobia, colonisation, murder, police brutality, child death, violence, gun violence

An extremely compelling and absolutely HORRIFYING deep dive from a Jewish Australian journalist into all the ways in which Israel uses Palestine as a testing ground for weapons and procedures that they then proceed to sell to the West. Truly, truly horrifying. And also extremely important reading.
]]> 32681842
Julian Medlock has spent years becoming the epitome of correct behavior. As far as he cares, if Courtenay finds himself in hot water, it’s his own fault for behaving so badly—and being so blasted irresistible. But when Julian’s sister asks him to rehabilitate Courtenay’s image, Julian is forced to spend time with the man he loathes—and lusts after—most.

As Courtenay begins to yearn for a love he fears he doesn’t deserve, Julian starts to understand how desire can drive a man to abandon all sense of propriety. But he has secrets he’s determined to keep, because if the truth came out, it would ruin everyone he loves. Together, they must decide what they’re willing to risk for love.]]> 341 Cat Sebastian 0062642529 K. 4
This was precious, and I really loved the way that chronic illness - malaria - was included in the story. Also, the yearning? Spectacular. ]]> 4.28 2017
author: Cat Sebastian
name: K.
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/05
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, disability-or-medical-condition, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, library, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: chronic illness, homophobia, panic attacks, emotional abuse (in the past), gun violence

This was precious, and I really loved the way that chronic illness - malaria - was included in the story. Also, the yearning? Spectacular.
]]> 120418071
When the two meet in London, neither is terribly impressed. Penvale finds Jane headstrong and sharp-tongued. Jane finds him cold and aloof. Nevertheless, they agree to a marriage in name only and return to the estate. There, Jane enlists her housekeeper for a to stage a haunting so that Penvale will return to London, leaving her to do as she pleases at Trethwick Abbey. But Penvale is not as easily scared as his uncle and as their time together increases, Jane realizes that she might not mind her husband's company all that much.]]> 338 Martha Waters 1035405423 K. 4
3.75 stars

This was a lot of fun, but at the same time I think it may have been my least favourite of the series? Don't get me wrong, I liked the marriage of convenience aspect of things, but I wanted them to Use Their Fucking Words so many times in the course of the story. ]]> 3.83 2023
author: Martha Waters
name: K.
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, historical-fiction, own-it-kindle, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: gaslighting, death of a parent (in the past), bullying

3.75 stars

This was a lot of fun, but at the same time I think it may have been my least favourite of the series? Don't get me wrong, I liked the marriage of convenience aspect of things, but I wanted them to Use Their Fucking Words so many times in the course of the story.
]]> 53437852 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.


A beautiful English lady falls for a Scottish highlander in this delightful historical romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood.

Judith Hampton was as beautiful as she was proud and loyal. Her dear Scottish friend from childhood was about to give birth, and Judith had promised to be at her side. But there was another, private reason for the journey from her bleak English home to the Highlands: to meet the father she had never known, the Laird Maclean. Nothing prepared her, however, for the sight of the Scottish barbarian who was to escort her into his land...Iain Maitland, Laird of his clan, a man more powerfully compelling than any she had ever encountered.

In a spirited clash of wills and customs, Judith reveled in the melting bliss of Iain's searching kisses, his passionate caresses. Perplexed by her sprightly defiance, bemused by her tender nature, Iain felt his soul growing into the light and warmth of her love. Surely nothing would wrench her from the affection and trust of Iain and his clan...not even the truth about her father, a devastating secret that could shatter the boldest alliance, and the most glorious of loves!]]> 404 Julie Garwood K. 3
3.5 stars

If I'd known going in that this was set in 1200CE, I probably wouldn't have read it. If I'd known going in that it was published in 1992, I probably wouldn't have read it. Am I glad I read it despite those two things? I...guess? I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought it would, and for a romance book from the early 90s, it was far more readable and far less problematic than I anticipated.

But. All of that being said. This did NOT need to be nearly 500 pages long. You could have cut out over 100 pages and it would have been the same story. I said what I said. ]]> 4.43 1992
author: Julie Garwood
name: K.
average rating: 4.43
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, historical-fiction, library, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: violence, childbirth, blood, kidnapping

3.5 stars

If I'd known going in that this was set in 1200CE, I probably wouldn't have read it. If I'd known going in that it was published in 1992, I probably wouldn't have read it. Am I glad I read it despite those two things? I...guess? I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought it would, and for a romance book from the early 90s, it was far more readable and far less problematic than I anticipated.

But. All of that being said. This did NOT need to be nearly 500 pages long. You could have cut out over 100 pages and it would have been the same story. I said what I said.
]]> 202200370 Love is more than just a game for two.

It’s 1857, and anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, or she and her mother will be out on the street.

Gwen, on the other hand, is on her fourth season and counting, with absolutely no intention of finding a husband, possibly ever. She has plenty of security as the only daughter of a rakish earl, from whom she’s inherited her penchant for drinking too much and dancing ‘til dawn.

Beth and Gwen are enchanted with each other on sight. And it doesn’t take long for Gwen to hatch her latest scheme: rather than join the husband hunt, they should set up Gwen’s father and Beth’s newly-widowed mother.

They had a fling years ago, after all��

Can Beth and Gwen find a way to defy convention and be together? And will their parents find love along the way too?

A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to seek husbands by setting up their widowed parents, and instead find their perfect match in each other—the lesbian Bridgerton you never knew you needed!]]> 393 Emma R. Alban 1405966130 K. 3
Look, I may have forgotten the content warnings about this one, but I have NOT forgotten that a) I thought this was YA and it's very definitely not, as evidenced by the sex scene that lasted for multiple chapters, and b) the premise is essentially that they parent trap their parents so that they can be stepsisters and have a romantic relationship rather than being forced into marriage to men.

Add in protagonists who I struggled with and this was decidedly mediocre. ]]> 3.67 2024
author: Emma R. Alban
name: K.
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, own-it-kindle, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: homophobia, probably plenty of other stuff that I've forgotten because I read this nearly two months ago

Look, I may have forgotten the content warnings about this one, but I have NOT forgotten that a) I thought this was YA and it's very definitely not, as evidenced by the sex scene that lasted for multiple chapters, and b) the premise is essentially that they parent trap their parents so that they can be stepsisters and have a romantic relationship rather than being forced into marriage to men.

Add in protagonists who I struggled with and this was decidedly mediocre.
]]> 36505580
Eddy owes her life to Rhine, but she won't risk her heart for him. As soon as she's saved enough money from her cooking, she'll leave this Nevada town and move to California. No matter how handsome he is, no matter how fiery the heat between them, Rhine will never be hers. Giving in for just one night might quench this longing. Or it might ignite an affair as reckless and irresistible as it is forbidden . . .]]> 389 Beverly Jenkins K. 4
3.75 stars

I had no idea going in that this was, essentially, a western. And while I loved the discussion of race and white passing privilege, I *did* sometimes struggle with the western aspect of the story. Add in an ending that was a TAD more abrupt than I would have liked, and this was good but not great for me. ]]> 4.23 2016
author: Beverly Jenkins
name: K.
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, bipoc-narrator, difficult-topics, diverse-author, historical-fiction, library, own-voices, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: racism, sexual assault, gun violence, racial slurs, slavery (in the past), death of a parent (in the past), kidnapping

3.75 stars

I had no idea going in that this was, essentially, a western. And while I loved the discussion of race and white passing privilege, I *did* sometimes struggle with the western aspect of the story. Add in an ending that was a TAD more abrupt than I would have liked, and this was good but not great for me.
]]> 29875088 A scoundrel who lives in the shadows
��
Jack Turner grew up in the darkness of London's slums, born into a life of crime and willing to do anything to keep his belly full and his siblings safe. Now he uses the tricks and schemes of the underworld to help those who need the kind of assistance only a scoundrel can provide. His distrust of the nobility runs deep and his services do not extend to the gorgeous high-born soldier who personifies everything Jack will never be.��
��
A soldier untarnished by vice
��
After the chaos of war, Oliver Rivington craves the safe predictability of a gentleman's life-one that doesn't include sparring with a ne'er-do-well who flouts the law at every turn. But Jack tempts Oliver like no other man has before. Soon his yearning for the unapologetic criminal is only matched by Jack's pleasure in watching his genteel polish crumble every time they're together.��
��
Two men only meant for each other
]]> 352 Cat Sebastian K. 4
I read this series completely arse about - book 2, then book 3, then book 1 - and while that may not be what the author intended, I had a charming time nonetheless. Sebastian's characters never fail and while there are entirely too many abs on the cover of this book (in a way that I have to say frightens me juuuuuust a tad), I had such a lovely time reading this that I didn't mind. ]]> 3.98 2016
author: Cat Sebastian
name: K.
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, library, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: classism, discussion of injuries, mentions of war, homophobia, domestic violence, gun violence, mentions of murder

I read this series completely arse about - book 2, then book 3, then book 1 - and while that may not be what the author intended, I had a charming time nonetheless. Sebastian's characters never fail and while there are entirely too many abs on the cover of this book (in a way that I have to say frightens me juuuuuust a tad), I had such a lovely time reading this that I didn't mind.
]]> 11238130 Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand - she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .

A woman haunted by her past . . .
Caire makes a simple offer - in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control - one that may well destroy them both.

A bargain neither could refuse.]]> 396 Elizabeth Hoyt 0748121137 K. 3
This series is much beloved in the historical romance community, but it just.......didn't work for me. It was more of a mystery than I anticipated, and the romance wasn't really my favourite? Also tell me why this cover art is giving Edwardian when it's set in the 1730s?!]]> 3.92 2010
author: Elizabeth Hoyt
name: K.
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, historical-fiction, romance, own-it-kindle, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: murder, violence, death, fire, injury detail, mentions of child abuse, mentions of child death, blood

This series is much beloved in the historical romance community, but it just.......didn't work for me. It was more of a mystery than I anticipated, and the romance wasn't really my favourite? Also tell me why this cover art is giving Edwardian when it's set in the 1730s?!
]]> 52237997
But when Will encounters a face from the past in a disreputable nightclub, Kim turns up, as shifty, unreliable, and irresistible as ever. And before Will knows it, he's been dragged back into Kim's shadowy world of secrets, criminal conspiracies, and underhand dealings.

This time, though, things are underhanded even by Kim standards. This time, the danger is too close to home. And if Will and Kim can't find common ground against unseen enemies, they risk losing everything.

A 1920s m/m romance trilogy in the spirit of Golden Age pulp fiction.]]> 288 K.J. Charles 1912688174 K. 4
This series is such an absolute joy. It's tense, it's charming, it's fascinating historically. And I'm enjoying it so freaking much. ]]> 4.26 2020
author: K.J. Charles
name: K.
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/13
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, crime, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, library, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: death, murder, blood, mentions of war, homophobia, inevitably other stuff I have forgotten because I read this two months ago.

This series is such an absolute joy. It's tense, it's charming, it's fascinating historically. And I'm enjoying it so freaking much.
]]> 49570497 desperate wallflower. To save her family, she'll do anything. Luckily, she has the perfect plan...

She’ll impress the ton by simply announcing she is engaged to the reclusive and mysterious Duke of Thornton, Alexander Masters, and secure strong matches for her sisters. No one has heard from the duke in years. Surely he’ll never find out before her sisters�� weddings, and she can go back to her own quiet life.

Soon, though, everything is out of control. At first, it’s just a few new ball gowns on the duke’s accounts. Then, it’s interviews with reporters eager for gossip. Before she knows it, Katherine has transformed herself into Kitty Danvers, charming and clever belle of the ton—with everyone eager to meet her thankfully absent fiancé.

But when the enigmatic Alexander Masters suddenly arrives in the city, dashing and oh so angry, he demands retribution. Except not in the way Katherine expected…]]> 344 Stacy Reid 164063746X K. 4
I loved every single second of this. The writing was charming. The characters were lovely. The romance was delightful. Will definitely be reading more by Reid in the future! ]]> 4.26 2019
author: Stacy Reid
name: K.
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/14
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, diverse-author, difficult-topics, disability-or-medical-condition, historical-fiction, library, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: physical injury (in the past), fire, ableism, grief, drug abuse (in the past), death of a parent (in the past)

I loved every single second of this. The writing was charming. The characters were lovely. The romance was delightful. Will definitely be reading more by Reid in the future!
]]> 35378213 The Fire Next Time galvanized the nation and gave passionate voice to the emerging civil rights movement. At once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin's early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, the book is an intensely personal and provocative document. It consists of two "letters," written on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, that exhort Americans, both black and white, to attack the terrible legacy of racism. The Fire Next Time stands as a classic of our literature.]]> 89 James Baldwin K. 5
4..5 stars

Utterly brilliant.

"It is entirely unacceptable that I should have no voice in the political affairs of my own country, for I am not a ward of America; I am one of the first Americans to arrive on these shores."]]> 4.53 1963
author: James Baldwin
name: K.
average rating: 4.53
book published: 1963
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, bipoc-narrator, biographies-and-memoirs, difficult-topics, diverse-author, lgbtqia-narrator, library, non-fiction, own-voices, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: racism, homophobia, systemic racism, slavery

4..5 stars

Utterly brilliant.

"It is entirely unacceptable that I should have no voice in the political affairs of my own country, for I am not a ward of America; I am one of the first Americans to arrive on these shores."
]]> 42925241
The Duke's remote castle is a difficult target, and Alec needs a way to get the thieves in. Soldier-turned-criminal Jerry Crozier has the answer: he'll pose as a Society gentleman and become Alec's new best friend.

But Jerry is a dangerous man: controlling, remote, and devastating. He effortlessly teases out the lonely young nobleman’s most secret desires, and soon he’s got Alec in his bed—and the palm of his hand.

Or maybe not. Because as the plot thickens, betrayals, secrets, new loves, and old evils come to light. Now the jewel thief and the aristocrat must keep up the pretence, find their way through a maze of privilege and deceit, and confront the truth of what's between them...all without getting caught.]]> 320 K.J. Charles 1912688077 K. 4
I really love the way that KJ Charles mixes romance and crime into historical fiction. I don't know that I'm enjoying this series QUITE as much as the Will Darling books, but it's still a cracking read. ]]> 4.23 2019
author: K.J. Charles
name: K.
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/18
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, crime, difficult-topics, historical-fiction, lgbtqia-narrator, library, romance, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: death of a parent (in the past), grief, shitty parenting

I really love the way that KJ Charles mixes romance and crime into historical fiction. I don't know that I'm enjoying this series QUITE as much as the Will Darling books, but it's still a cracking read.
]]> 213853552 A wonderful coming-of-age queer romance from the multi award-winning author of The Boy from the Mish. Jonah is the new kid in a country town. When he joins the local footy team to be closer to his crush, Harley, it feels like a fresh start �� but he still has to navigate new friendships, an unresolved past, and the same body image issues he's always had.

Footsteps approach behind me. I turn and see an Aboriginal boy arriving at the doorway. He's tall, taller than me. He's got curly hair. His body is fit. His chest is chiselled and bare and he's wearing only football shorts.

When 17-year-old Jonah arrives in a new town �� Patience �� with his dad and younger brothers, it feels like a foreign place. A new town means he needs to make new friends - which isn't always easy. Especially when he's wrestling with his body image, and his memories of his mother.

When he joins the local footy team so he can spend more time with his new crush, Harley, he feels like he's moving closer to something good. But even though he knows what he wants, it doesn't mean he's ready.

Emotionally compelling, honest and featuring warm and authentically vulnerable characters, I'm Not Really Here is a beautiful novel from an internationally acclaimed bestselling Indigenous author about navigating family and friendships, and finding a way through grief towards love.

Praise for Gary Lonesborough

'What a revelation this young writer is. He is doing something no other male First Nations novelist has the YA Blak queer genre that is a glimpse into another world view, at once confronting yet heartwarming.' - AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW [We Didn't Think it Through]

'A lightning bolt to the soul. The Boy from the Mish announces a bold, necessary new talent.' WILL KOSTAKIS]]> 384 Gary Lonesborough 1761180762 K. 4
I love Lonesborough's books and this one was no exception. I still think The Boy From the Mish is my favourite, but this is a close second. I loved the complexity of the characters and the dynamics between them. I really liked how much grief plays into the story, and how the family dynamics weave into the friendships and the romance. All in all, this was delightful.]]> 4.38
author: Gary Lonesborough
name: K.
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: 2024, audience-young-adult, australian, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, diverse-author, difficult-topics, first-nations, library, lgbtqia-narrator, own-it-hard-copy, own-voices, romance, setting-australia, loveozya
review:
Content warnings: grief, death of a parent (in the past), homophobia, internalised homophobia, vomit, alcohol abuse

I love Lonesborough's books and this one was no exception. I still think The Boy From the Mish is my favourite, but this is a close second. I loved the complexity of the characters and the dynamics between them. I really liked how much grief plays into the story, and how the family dynamics weave into the friendships and the romance. All in all, this was delightful.
]]> 199415360
Arthur Parnassus lives a good life, built on the ashes of a bad one. He's the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six magical and so-called dangerous children who live there.

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

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

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

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur's story.]]> 406 T.J. Klune K. 4
Look, is this book charming? Yes. Was it lovely to be back with these characters? Yes. Does this book need to exist? No. Do I remember anything that happened? Not in the slightest. ]]> 4.22 2024
author: T.J. Klune
name: K.
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, diverse-author, difficult-topics, fantasy, lgbtqia-narrator, library, own-voices, setting-uk
review:
Content warnings: xenophobia, homophobia, probably a ton of other stuff that I've forgotten because I read this nearly three months ago and forgot to review it.

Look, is this book charming? Yes. Was it lovely to be back with these characters? Yes. Does this book need to exist? No. Do I remember anything that happened? Not in the slightest.
]]> 54017928 You wouldn't expect Nate and Charlie to be friends.

Charlie's the laid-back captain of the basketball team. Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But they are friends, however unlikely--until Nate declares war on the cheerleaders and the cheerleaders retaliate by making Charlie their figurehead in the ugliest class election campaign the school has ever seen. At stake? Student group funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms, but not both.

Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving to illicitly enter a televised robot deathmatch? Let's do this!]]> 288 Prudence Shen 1250779618 K. 4
Okay, here's the thing: I had a delightful time reading this, but also I was GENUINELY shocked to learn that this wasn't queer. Because based on the cover, I thought it was going to end with the two of them falling in love. And every time I look at the cover, I STILL expect it to end with them falling in love.

And, like, I didn't mine the way it played out, I really didn't. I'm just still a little baffled. ]]> 3.70 2013
author: Prudence Shen
name: K.
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: 2024, audience-young-adult, bipoc-narrator, contemporary, diverse-author, graphic-novel, library, own-voices, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: teenage messiness as a result of a parental divorce, violence

Okay, here's the thing: I had a delightful time reading this, but also I was GENUINELY shocked to learn that this wasn't queer. Because based on the cover, I thought it was going to end with the two of them falling in love. And every time I look at the cover, I STILL expect it to end with them falling in love.

And, like, I didn't mine the way it played out, I really didn't. I'm just still a little baffled.
]]> 207594884 From the author of the New York Times bestseller Better Than the Movies comes a romantic, heartfelt sequel that will sweep you off of your feet!
��
Wes had his dream girl but then he lost her �� and the only way to get her back is to scheme like a rom-com hero��
��
For a few beautiful months, Wes and girl-next-door Liz were together. But right as the two were about to set off to UCLA together, tragedy struck and their relationship ended.

Flash forward and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart, but is determined to make her fall back in love with him. And he has a foolproof plan to win her back with the rom-com worthy big gestures she loves. Only �� Liz will have none of it. Wes has to scheme like a rom-com hero to figure out how to see her. Even worse, Liz has a new friend…a guy friend.

Still, Wes won’t give up and is determined to win back Liz’s affection. But after his best efforts get him nowhere, he’s is left wondering if their relationship is really over for good.
��
Nothing Like the Movies is perfect for hopeless romantics, lovers of grumpy x sunshine energy and for fans of Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood!
��
Don’t miss The Do-Over, Betting on You and where it all started in Better Than the Movies from Lynn Painter!]]> 445 Lynn Painter 139853644X K. 4
Look, this was extremely lovely and I'm glad I read it because being back with these characters and their second chance romance was delightful. But at the same time - and I kind of hate to say this - this book did not need to exist. It didn't. And to put the characters through this level of trauma solely to create a reason for a sequel feels a little cruel.

So, like, I loved it? But I kind of wish it didn't exist. ]]> 3.91 2024
author: Lynn Painter
name: K.
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: 2024, audience-young-adult, contemporary, difficult-topics, library, romance, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: death of a parent (in the past), grief

Look, this was extremely lovely and I'm glad I read it because being back with these characters and their second chance romance was delightful. But at the same time - and I kind of hate to say this - this book did not need to exist. It didn't. And to put the characters through this level of trauma solely to create a reason for a sequel feels a little cruel.

So, like, I loved it? But I kind of wish it didn't exist.
]]> 62682383 Through the lens of horror—from Halloween to Hereditary—queer and trans writers consider the films that deepened, amplified, and illuminated their own experiences.

Horror movies hold a complicated space in the hearts of the queer historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic, the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive readings. Common tropes—such as the circumspect and resilient “final girl,�� body possession, costumed villains, secret identities, and things that lurk in the closet—spark moments of eerie familiarity and affective connection. Still, viewers often remain tasked with reading themselves into beloved films, seeking out characters and set pieces that speak to, mirror, and parallel the unique ways queerness encounters the world.

It Came from the Closet features twenty-five essays by writers speaking to this relationship, through connections both empowering and oppressive. From Carmen Maria Machado on Jennifer’s Body, Jude Ellison S. Doyle on In My Skin, Addie Tsai on Dead Ringers, and many more, these conversations convey the rich reciprocity between queerness and horror.]]> 290 Joe Vallese 1952177685 K. 4
3.75 stars

An interesting and often heartbreaking essay collection about queerness and horror through the lens of specific horror movies. Some, perhaps predictably, worked better for me than others and some where more horrifying than the movies discussed. I would have liked more of an overarching summary to round things off, but on the whole I'm glad I read this. ]]> 4.01 2022
author: Joe Vallese
name: K.
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: 2024, audience-adult, bipoc-narrator, deals-with-mental-illness, difficult-topics, diverse-author, horror, lgbtqia-narrator, library, non-fiction, own-voices, setting-usa
review:
Content warnings: homophobia, transphobia, suicidal ideation, mental health, self harm, miscarriage, blood, stillbirth

3.75 stars

An interesting and often heartbreaking essay collection about queerness and horror through the lens of specific horror movies. Some, perhaps predictably, worked better for me than others and some where more horrifying than the movies discussed. I would have liked more of an overarching summary to round things off, but on the whole I'm glad I read this.
]]>