Welcome to Litsy!

I'm excited to be posting another book review infographic after a long (accidental) break! As usual, I can't post all 5 images here, but I post them on Instsgram as PopCultureLiterary! #LGBTQ #LGBTQAuthors #TheRainbowShelf #BookInfographic

The world of magic is a dark, writhing thing that lives by its own rules in this book. The characters are wonderfully portrayed and delightfully queer, and the descriptions throughout painted vivid pictures. I found this book to be hard to focus on at times, and had trouble following characters' motivation and reasoning, but otherwise really enjoyed it. #LGBTQ #LGBTQAuthors #OwnVoices #QueerBooks #TheRainbowShelf

Every week, I highlight #LGBTQAuthors as part of #TheRainbowShelf 🏳️‍🌈 Canadian author Adan Jerreat-Poole is currently working on their post-doctoral degree in the realm of disability studies. They are a long-time reader, especially of fantasy, and loves queer representation in pop culture. #LGBTQVoices #OwnVoices

Only read 10 books this month but considering a slow reading spell and the fact that I'm juggling even more books than usual at the moment for research, I'll take it

An assassin created by witches is forced to team up with enemies and go against her own in this incredibly inventive YA fantasy. Loved the take on witches and magic. Loved the characters. Loved the fast pacing. A bit jumpy and confusing at times but I'm hoping there's still time to polish some of that up before publication. Great fall read.

4 stars / ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dumpling soup while I finish up this fun, witchy read

A great witchy read + delicious macarons = heaven

Morning reading with some lavendar earl grey tea

1. The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass, Plain Bad Heroines, and Vagabonds

2. Plain Bad Heroines (from a quote by Mary MacLane in The Story of Mary McClane)

3. "Humans couldn‘t sense ghosts, which is why it was up to witches to track these traces of wild magic before they fed on every living thing and upset the delicate balance between worlds." -- The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass

#weekendreads

"Eli popped a extra strength Advil and downed it with a mouthful of lukewarm coffee."

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

Afternoon reading, because its gray and I can't focus on anything else

There was a lot of promise in the synopsis & the cover, but it didn't come to fruition. This book is all over the place, with a jarring narrative movement & a lack of backstory that left me very confused. It reads like a slightly dark, magical fever dream. The world-building is severely lacking. The characters are diverse & vibrant with good personalities, but they don't move coherently in the narrative. A very confusing & disappointing read.

I hate to bail on a book- but after getting halfway through this new YA fantasy, there just isn‘t anything that makes me want to finish. The premise sounded promising- main character Eli straddles the human world and a witch world and is made of a bunch of parts and is an assassin of ghosts... but the world building isn‘t there and the characters don‘t have enough to them to connect with. Also, some character choices add confusion, not clarity.

This was a #netgalley read. I really wanted to like this book. I definitely loved the characters and the premise. Eli was made by a witch to be a ghost assassin. When we meet Eli, we realize her assignments are suddenly not going well. Something is up, so Eli and her newfound human friends will figure it out. I found it difficult to visualize much of the story. By the time I hit 75%, I was no longer invested. I pretty much lost interest.