One of the best second books in a series that I‘ve ever read! Once again, the plot drew me into the story immediately and held my attention throughout the entirety of the book. This book was very different than the first book in a series, but I appreciated that feature. There was a lot of political intrigue, which added depth to the world-building.

While I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first in the series, it was fun to read about the different fairy tales. Grizelda was definitely my favorite character, and I would be interested in reading more of her backstory. It was also nice to see how Ella matured since the events of the previous book. That being said, the different POVs didn't work for me with this book. Overall though, a quick and lighthearted read!

Poetry is always a hit or a miss for me, but when I saw that this book of poems not only had queer and disabled representation but also incorporated fantasy, I was sold! I absolutely loved how the author portrayed the fantastical elements and used the genre to tell a story that is not easy to tell. Their portrayal of chronic illness and disability was moving. I cried at many different points, and the poems made me feel seen.

I was absolutely enthralled by Find the Storm! The plot was captivating and dynamic, and Aria was the perfect protagonist. I thought her mistrust of others was portrayed really artfully, and I enjoyed the way the reader got to follow along with her internal struggles. Finally, the magic system was phenomenal! It is a bit of a looser magic system, as it seemed like the things characters could do with their magic was almost unlimited. Outstanding!

While the romance in this novel was adorable, it was all the smaller details that really made it shine. Wren has a complex family dynamic that adds another layer of depth to the story. Bean was also a highlight. Wren and Asher‘s plight to find him a family was adorable and offered up the perfect scenarios for them to bond. Finally, there was an element of intrigue with Asher‘s catfish. There was a small plot twist that I didn‘t see coming.

I didn‘t particularly care for the vagueness at the beginning. It‘s not quite clear how the characters are related to one another. That being said, there were quite a few aspects of the story that I enjoyed. My favorite feature was the chronic pain representation, which was well-thought-out. Additionally, the transgender and bigender representation were phenomenal. I truly enjoyed the depth with which the protagonists‘ identities were explored.

I enjoyed the personal tone of this book. Sepetys shares her own life experiences to demonstrate how to add meaning and depth to writing. I appreciated that the book was written for people who don‘t necessarily have experience with writing or editing. It covers introductory material for a wide range of topics. This made it very easy to apply Sepetys‘ techniques and makes it the perfect book for editors to use with their clients.

I love the fact that Eza‘s kingdom, Introvertia, focuses on active listening and empathy. The idea of a culture based on these key communication skills is enthralling, and it made me wonder what kind of place we would be living in if our world was a little more like that. Additionally, I know the book is technically labeled as young adult, but it certainly reads more like middle grade, but regardless, I enjoyed it.

Maybe it‘s just me, but there‘s something incredibly creepy about 20+ people going on reality T.V. in the hopes of forming a relationship with someone, someone who is romantically involved with multiple other people…. Throw in the fact that all the characters are 17-years-old & the creepiness factor is on overload. I was not a fan of this book, but I loved Kaitlyn Hill‘s first book so much that I would still give her future books a chance.

Short stories are always a hit or a miss for me, but the stories in Greymist Fair were captivating! Each one progressively reveals more about the town & its secrets, while also tying into one another seamlessly. Many of the characters were interesting, but Dr. Death and Death were absolutely riveting. They were certainly the most complex characters, with mysterious backgrounds & motivations. Their character arcs were wonderfully written as well!

This book has all the promising features of a YA fantasy novel: a slow burn romance, intense fight scenes, and political intrigue. While I absolutely loved most of the book, the ending left a lot to be desired. Basically, the ending felt very unfinished to me.
That being said, there were so many elements that I adored! The different houses were fun, and the prophetic element added a unique sense of mystery. The romance that develops is cute.

Not only did Kalynn Bayron write an amazing retelling, she highlighted queer, Black voices in her reimagining! I definitely enjoyed My Dear Henry more than I did the original story of Jekyll and Hyde, and it is certainly a retelling that will stay with me for a long time to come! Bayron confronted the obstacles relating to intersectionality. She told Gabriel‘s story in such an authentic way. I felt my heart break with his throughout the book.

Ruffin and Lamar share stories of racism, mostly those experienced by the latter. They weave in a ton of humor, adding a sense of lightheartedness to an otherwise heavy topic. I appreciated their authenticity. Sometimes the stories were difficult to read, but I think that made them all the more important. Overall, the two authors delivered a hilarious spin on a serious experience. This is definitely a book I think everyone should read!

I loved everything about this book! The plot was very immersive, and I frequently lost myself within the story. It was filled with action and also had complex relationships that moved the story along. Zach was a wonderful protagonist. His point of view felt authentic and realistic, especially in relationship to him being gay. Throughout the whole book I felt as though I was on an adventure with Zach and his friends.

As a philosophy nerd, I was so excited when I saw that Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth is a retelling of Antigone by Sophocles. I absolutely loved what Roth did with this wonderful story! There were enough elements that mirrored the original play, but also some interesting touches that updated the story as well. I enjoyed how she put a spin on the original twist of incest, but pretty much removed the creepy undertones.

The best feature of this novel is that it was completely immersive. I truly felt like I was experiencing everything with Imani. The descriptions were so vivid, and the actions scenes so intense. Ibrahim did a phenomenal job of creating such a realistic and magical world. I was surprised that this is her debut book because she writes like a well-seasoned author. Overall, I literally can‘t wait for the next book in this series!

I felt really conflicted about this book for the majority of it. It starts off pretty slow, and doesn‘t really pick up until about halfway through. I would have liked to see more interaction between the characters in the first half of the book, and definitely more actions scenes.

But, there were a few plot twists that I didn‘t see coming, and I was happy with how the story ended. Also would have liked to see feminism portrayed differently.

While urban fantasy and vampires aren‘t typically my favorite things, I wholeheartedly enjoyed City of Nightmares by Rebecca Shaeffer! One aspect of the novel that I appreciated was Ness‘s character development. Ness is a coward, and she‘s not afraid to admit that. Part of what I loved about her was her authenticity. The way that Ness embraced her cowardness, but also grew as a person was realistic and added a lot of depth to her story.

Taken as a whole, I enjoyed this book! It focuses more on an uprising as opposed to Aladdin and Jasmine's relationship, but I appreciated that change. I really enjoyed the way Braswell depicts Jasmine, particularly her efforts to connect with all of her people. I think an opportunity to deepen the themes was overlooked, as I would have liked to see Jasmine take on feminist issues. Her ruling as an unmarried woman still could have been addressed.

I was interested in reading the book because I wanted to see where our modern conceptions of vampires came from, & that aspect of the novel was definitely interesting. But, that was just about the only part of the book that I enjoyed. The pace was mind-numbingly slow, & the plot was relatively uneventful. Stoker could have gone in so many interesting directions, but instead he had endless pages of droning on about unimportant details.

I loved the themes throughout the book, particularly those of generosity & kindness. I thought the plot made sense, & didn‘t seem too far-fetched, but was still filled with hardships. Similarly, Dickens‘ writing made the novel truly stand out. While I can see how some readers might find it a little slow, I think the writing made up for the slower pace. I was very pleasantly surprised by Oliver Twist, and I‘m hoping to read more by Dickens soon!

I will admit that this book started out a little rough for me. Andie is a complicated main character to say the least, & I found her a little annoying towards the beginning of the novel. However, Andie‘s character growth throughout the book ended up being my favorite part! I enjoyed the depth of this book a lot! I thought the humor throughout the novel added a bit of lightheartedness to what would have otherwise been a somewhat depressing story.

My favorite aspect of this novel is that Seelie is autistic, which is shown through her being a changeling. Many of Seelie‘s mannerisms were relatable. On top of that, the way the other characters loved Seelie, not despite her autism, but because of it, gave me chills. Additionally, the adventure in this novel was fantastic! There‘s everything from faeries to shapeshifters to changelings to dragons, & the plot is robust, yet not too overwhelming.

There‘s not a single thing I would change about this book! It‘s clear Sepetys did extensive research on the time period. Additionally, Cristian was a phenomenal character! I loved the way Sepetys portrayed this fire inside him, driving him to change things and fight for freedom. Similarly, the themes in the novel were very strong, particularly the theme of paranoia. Finally, the emotional connection I felt with this book was unparalleled!

One of my favorite aspects of the novel was that it doesn‘t read like a textbook. Young provided helpful interpretations of different terminology that is frequently used in the a-spec community. The thing that made this book really stand out was the emotions, from those who participated in the creation of the book, from the author themself, and from me as a reader.

The mystery in this novel was riveting! The suspense built up well over the course of the book, and I literally couldn‘t stop reading. Additionally, the characters that we already knew and loved were developed further. I adore the fact that Stevie is a flawed, yet relatable character. Finally, the cherry on top of the cake, there is an ace (asexual) character in this book! Overall, there is not a single thing I didn‘t love about this novel!

This book is one of those rarities that are so amazing they leave me speechless. There isn‘t a single thing about this novel that I didn‘t absolutely love, but my favorite aspect was the way Ziva‘s social anxiety was portrayed. Additionally, there is plenty of action, yet it didn‘t overtake the plot. The supporting characters added so much depth to the plot as well. The romance in the novel was the perfect amount in my opinion.

Not only does this book delve into the problem of the overfishing of Atlantic cod, it discusses an extensive history of how different people around the world have relied on the species. Many aspects of the book were surprising, and taking the publication year into account (1999), it was particularly compelling to see how the situation has changed since then.

Overall, if you like nonfiction, then this book might be a great fit for you!

I felt let down by the developments throughout the novel. The idea of a malicious, sentient forest was so interesting, and I was really excited about that, but I think that concept was very under-developed and didn‘t add much to the story. Similarly, the poisonous lake was again fascinating, but I think the author should have spent more time focusing on these two aspects of the novel to add depth and mystery.

I had mixed feelings about a good portion of this novel, but as a whole, I think if you can stick it out to the end, it‘s clear that many of the aspects that are a little annoying seem to set up the ending and the next book in the series. Furthermore, I was not thrilled at the comparison to The Bachelor, but I was excited to discover that it didn‘t give off the same creepy vibes as the T.V. show.

Strike the Zither was one of those books that is clearly a five-star read from the first few chapters! I don‘t think I‘ve ever read a novel with a strategist as a protagonist before and it added a lot of new and interesting aspects to the story. Furthermore, Zephyr is such a compelling character. I was so invested in her personal story and seeing where that would take her. Finally, the plot really made this novel shine. It was a phenomenal book!

It felt like nothing happened for a good portion of the book, & then everything was crammed into the last 50 pages. Alice does something morally wrong, and not only does no one stop her, she argues that she shouldn‘t be punished for her wrongdoings because she is poor. Likewise, much of the novel focused on her growth as a character, only to have her lie to someone towards the end. It just ruined all the character growth prior to that instance.

I have to say that the ending of the novel was definitely my favorite part. While it was predictable, it was still a fun read. I did find the majority of the novel to be slow, but I think that‘s like because I don‘t read a lot of mysteries and thrillers. I guess I expected it to be…I don‘t know… a little more thrilling. Overall, I think people who generally enjoy mysteries and thrillers will like this book, it just wasn‘t the right book for me.

By far, my favorite aspect of this novel is that Giada is plus sized and confident. Similarly, Giada portrays a healthy relationship with food, which is important for young girls to read about. Furthermore, as if the body positivity wasn‘t enough, this story was absolutely wonderful! Overall, there were so many great things about this novel! I especially recommend it if you have a young girl in your life who needs an inspiring role model!

This first part of the book was a little slow, but it picked up towards the end. Despite being a Rapunzel retelling, I thought the novel would have benefitted from more focus on the romance. The supporting characters in the book were interesting, but I would have like to see more of them throughout the book. Overall, Princess of Souls was pretty good, but unfortunately didn‘t quite live up to my high expectations after reading To Kill a Kingdom.

My favorite thing about the anthology was that the stories elicited such strong and varying emotions. Most of the stories were so simple, yet so effective in conveying emotion, and that made it a very powerful book. Honestly, it‘s hard to pick my favorite stories from this anthology, but if I had to choose, I would say “The Daya Zimu” by Vanessa Nakayange, “Rain” by Muuka Gwaba, and “This is for My Aunt Penzi, Who—” by Idza Luhumyo were my top 3.

The River of Silver turned out to be the exact mixture of comfort & adventure that I needed! Again, I find myself at a loss for words to adequately describe the immense talent that Chakraborty clearly has in abundance! My favorite part of the book is that it is so immersive just like Chakraborty‘s other books. Chakraborty has a solid place among my favorite authors, & I can‘t wait to read The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi when it comes out!

It‘s certainly a quick read. While I thought the poems were a bit disjointed & didn‘t necessarily go together, there were some that dug deep and truly made me think. Some of the lines in certain poems were simply so lyrical and genius, they definitely stood out. As a whole, I wouldn‘t say that The Gravity of Existence greatly impacted my opinion on poetry, but it was worth the read considering the short length & the handful of beautiful lines!

Harrison told both Ona‘s and Tessa‘s stories in such an eloquent way. I don‘t think I‘ve ever read a book about slavery from the perspective of a child, so that truly made this book stand out. Similarly, I thought it was important that the novel addressed significant issues, such as colorism and the belief that slaves working in the house had it easier. Ona‘s story encouraged readers to recognize that all slaves faced different types of adversity.

I will say that many of the characters were well-written. Sadly, I was expecting more from this story than it offered. It‘s clearly supposed to focus on the enemies-to-lovers trope, but I felt like neither the enemies aspect, nor the lovers aspect, were done well. While I read an ARC version, a lot of the writing was incomprehensible, which drew my attention away from what was happening in the novel.

Everything about this book was fantastic! The queer rep in the book really elevated the overall quality, and I loved that it was normalized within Emsy‘s family and coven. Similarly, the friendships that Emsy developed were complex, personal, and inviting. Finally, the illustrations in this novel were what really made it stand out. Every now and then there would be a drawing that was simply breathtaking, and gave me chills.

Devastatingly, I did not enjoy Forestfall. Leta develops a romance with another character, & this was the main issue I had. Not that someone can‘t be in love with two people, but Leta‘s love for this character in the second book was simply illogical & contradictive. However, Clipstone‘s writing is absolutely poetic & lyrical. There are not many authors that have the talent to write such beautiful prose, and that was Forestfall‘s one saving grace.

As soon as I heard the word “retelling” I immediately requested The Liar‘s Crown by Abigail Owen on NetGalley. Probably my favorite aspect is that the plot is not lost to the romance. The romance was well thought out, and more importantly, the plot was the main focus of the novel. Furthermore, Meren was a phenomenal character! She felt so realistic and very three-dimensional. The entire book was written so eloquently, & the ending was everything!

There are many aspects of this novel that were phenomenal, it‘s hard to know where to start! What truly blew my mind was the author‘s note at the end of the novel, explaining that the story was based off of a real person, Clara “Carrie” Minor Johnson, & real events. Penelope seamlessly incorporated the true story into the book, not only staying true to the real person‘s story, but also adding an element of fantasy that was believable & intriguing.

As a whole, I really enjoyed The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill. The plot was predictable, but fun to read and I enjoyed the premise of the story. I will say that I found myself a little bored at many points throughout the novel. Once Terrill introduced a few romantic scenes between Vika and her love interest, I was more attentive, but I felt like there wasn‘t enough romantic tension.

Sometimes I‘m just in a mood where I want to read a lighthearted romance. Prior to reading Three Kisses, One Midnight I did not realize that I needed a lighthearted spooky romance novel in my life! The cute stories of romance along with the ghostly details turned out to be the perfect mixture for a fun, easy read! I cannot recommend this book enough if you want romance and Halloween/Autumn vibes!

I was absolutely blown away by this book! The trials in the book were inventive and action-packed. I thought the camaraderie was phenomenal! Teo develops complex and multifaceted relationships with most of the other competitors, and I adored this human element of the story. One of the aspects I enjoyed most about the book was the queer representation. Similarly, the worldbuilding was fantastic, and I love that being queer was normalized!

I was impressed to see that this is Kaseke‘s debut book, because she writes as if she has been doing so for her entire life. Few authors have the ability to evoke such strong emotions in readers, but after reading this book, I have no doubt that Kaseke clearly has that talent. Even if Kaseke never wrote another book in her life, Send Her Back is an amazing feat, the likes of which most authors strive for just once in their lives!

While the switching up of pronouns was a little confusing, I‘m guessing Szabo did this intentionally to show that Jesse is gender fluid and/or discovering their gender identity. That being said, there wasn‘t much else I liked. The story lacked a plot, and felt very disjointed. The multiple POVs were not executed well, and by the end of the novel, it truly felt as if nothing really happened. There were also many problematic elements to the story.

I was absolutely immersed throughout the entirety of Hotel Magnifique! There is an element of mystery that really added a lot to the story and made the plot flow really well. On top of that, while the major events in the novel were a little predictable, I found most of the book unique. The found family trope was great, but I would have liked to see how it could have developed across more books. Overall, I absolutely loved Hotel Magnifique!