pickWhat a beautiful novel in verse!
This book tells the story of two young women in two different timelines. The first is Lula, a present day young vocal prodigy studying at a music conservatory. The other is Barbara Strozzi, a 17th century Italian servant turned composer who was a real person. Both storylines were compelling and I loved how they merged!
Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/07/25/review-the-siren-and-the-star/
so-soMmmm I thought this was YA, since the MC is 16, but…maybe like older YA?? It was alright. The story felt a little half-baked, and it was a lot of sitting around and waiting for things to happen. Also, how in this small town has no one noticed a BASEMENT full of goths going missing???
3 stars | #vampires #ya?? #contemporaryfantasy
pickGemma is such a funny protagonist, not just bc she's in her own bubble, but bc she just can't let go of that one project perfect Xander ruined! There's a lot of heart in this book, not just for a culture that Gemma was purposely excluded from, but also for her family and, yes, even that pesky cardboard dog. I loved the puzzles, the banter, the reluctant friendship, and the obvious HUGE CRUSH only Gemma couldn't see. I wanna reread it now 😂 #ya
pickWell OBVIOUSLY this is a good book. I‘m rereading so I can go into Ballad and Sunrise with all the info I need. It took me a minute to get into Collins‘ writing style, and since the YA voice isn‘t something I‘ve read in a LONG time. But first one down! Four to go!
4.5 stars | #ya #dystopia #modernclassic
pickThis was by far the best book in the trilogy!
Having read this before season 3 came out, I had limited knowledge on the plot line and went into this with few expectations.
Everything worked so well in this one. The book had the perfect amount of drama and suspense that the conclusion to the series needed.
Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/07/05/review-well-always-have-summer-th...
pickWhat an amazing novel in verse!
First off, I love novels in verse. I always find them to be so creative and moving and this book was no exception.
This is the debut book from the author and I was very impressed. The poems were all well crafted and really hit the mark, which is a tough thing to accomplish.
Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/21/review-top-heavy/
pick4.75/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖
“First thing you learn travelling the long roads, kid: language is as much in the way you speak as the words you choose.”
#fantasy #spellslinger #ya
pickThis was such a fun YA fantasy!
First off, the world building was fantastic. It was simple to understand their world and how it related to our world. Everything was explained gradually which made grasping the world easy to digest. Sometimes fantasy novels can do a lot of info-dumping, but this book did not.
Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/09/review-guardians-of-glyndor/
pickI am a huge fan of the show and of her other series, To All the Boys I‘ve Loved Before, so I figured it was finally time to read this series. This book wasn‘t as exciting as the show, but it was still an enjoyable read.
The first half of the book was a little slow and heavy on flashbacks.
Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/06/02/review-the-summer-i-turned-pretty...
